Is my brooder plate enough?

[ForFlocksSake]

I have 3 chicks coming in a week. I know that's a small amount to brood but that's all the space we have. With my first brood I used a brooder plate only but it was June and my garage was HOT to begin with, so I wasn't too concerned. Now it's getting cooler out (North Florida, some nights getting in the 40s) and I am worried the plate won't be enough, especially with such a small group. I wanted to test it out and put a wifi thermometer under the plate in the garage. it's currently 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside and 84.7degrees Fahrenheit under the plate. I don't think this is warm enough since google says 95 degrees for day old babies.

What should I do to prepare? I can't brood them inside the house so I am going to need to add another heat source, but everything I read on here says lamps are dangerous. we do have 2 small space heaters and Im willing to purchase more supplies if needed.

For reference, this is the plate I have:

Brooder Plate

 

[Debbie292d]

Do you have an electric radiator-type room heater you could put in the general area of your brooder to help keep the temps up? You're right, that heat plate isn't going to cut it in those temps, but might do a better job with some help. Space heaters if that's what I'm thinking of scare me as much as a heat lamp but maybe you do have one that could be put in the area safely. I'll qualify that by saying we do use a black ceramic bulb in a UL-certified holder for it in our brooder though.

For our coop, we have one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/NewAir-Porta...07f-4c09-85cc-90c067511336&pd_rd_i=B009L40S0S

It keeps the coop to 40F but that's at its lowest setting. We originally got ours at Home Depot, but Amazon's were cheaper when I checked.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Do you have an electric radiator-type room heater you could put in the general area of your brooder to help keep the temps up? You're right, that heat plate isn't going to cut it in those temps, but might do a better job with some help. Space heaters if that's what I'm thinking of scare me as much as a heat lamp but maybe you do have one that could be put in the area safely. I'll qualify that by saying we do use a black ceramic bulb in a UL-certified holder for it in our brooder though.

For our coop, we have one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/NewAir-Portable-Heater-Electric-AH-400/dp/B009L40S0S/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=6Edfr&content-id=amzn1.sym.225b4624-972d-4629-9040-f1bf9923dd95:amzn1.symc.40e6a10e-cbc4-4fa5-81e3-4435ff64d03b&pf_rd_p=225b4624-972d-4629-9040-f1bf9923dd95&pf_rd_r=KQY5670G0D3QMB2HZWZ0&pd_rd_wg=56Yi1&pd_rd_r=f43d4cd6-407f-4c09-85cc-90c067511336&pd_rd_i=B009L40S0S

It keeps the coop to 40F but that's at its lowest setting. We originally got ours at Home Depot, but Amazon's were cheaper when I checked.

We have two space heaters. Both electric. One is a radiator type and one looks almost like a small speaker.

I may need to set up the whole brooder tomorrow and put the thermometer in there to see how it’s looking.

 

[Debbie292d]

We have two space heaters. Both electric. One is a radiator type and one looks almost like a small speaker.

I may need to set up the whole brooder tomorrow and put the thermometer in there to see how it’s looking.

That's what I would do. One of those heaters heating the area around the brooder should help that heat plate out.

If it still doesn't get them to 95F, do you have a heating pad that doesn't shut off? You could stick that in a pillow case (seal it in plastic first if it's not plastic already). We use one of those sometimes when we've had day-old chicks at a poultry swap. We used two hot water bottles and hand warmers for the ride.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

That's what I would do. One of those heaters heating the area around the brooder should help that heat plate out.

If it still doesn't get them to 95F, do you have a heating pad that doesn't shut off? You could stick that in a pillow case (seal it in plastic first if it's not plastic already). We use one of those sometimes when we've had day-old chicks at a poultry swap. We used two hot water bottles and hand warmers for the ride.

My heating pad has an auto shut off and also it’s not something I can sacrifice to my chickens

The brooder I have is wire all around, so setting up the heaters on the outside would probably help a lot. I’ll definitely need a test run soon.

 

[NatJ]

Now it's getting cooler out (North Florida, some nights getting in the 40s) and I am worried the plate won't be enough, especially with such a small group....For reference, this is the plate I have:

Read the label or instructions for the brooder plate you have. Many of them say not to use it under some particular temperature (60 degrees or 50 degrees or maybe something else, depending on the brand.)

I wanted to test it out and put a wifi thermometer under the plate in the garage. it's currently 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside and 84.7degrees Fahrenheit under the plate. I don't think this is warm enough since google says 95 degrees for day old babies.

What should I do to prepare? I can't brood them inside the house so I am going to need to add another heat source, but everything I read on here says lamps are dangerous. we do have 2 small space heaters and Im willing to purchase more supplies if needed.

You can use a space heater to heat that area of the garage, to get it warm enough to use the brooder plate you have.

Once the chicks are a bit older, they do not need as much warmth, so at some point you will probably be able to turn off the space heater and they will be fine with just the brooder plate (this is likely to happen sometime between 1 week and 4 weeks, earlier or later depending on what your outdoor weather does and how that affect your garage temperature). At some point later yet, they will be big enough and feathered enough to do without any heat, and you can remove the brooder plate at that time (this will likely happen between about 4 weeks and 8 weeks, but can be earlier or later because your weather might change or you might have chicks that grow their feathers extra-fast or extra-slow.)

 

[Debbie292d]

My heating pad has an auto shut off and also it’s not something I can sacrifice to my chickens

The brooder I have is wire all around, so setting up the heaters on the outside would probably help a lot. I’ll definitely need a test run soon.

Mine too. That's why we bought this one for $14 for the chicks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V1GZGR4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Debbie292d]

The brooder I have is wire all around, so setting up the heaters on the outside would probably help a lot. I’ll definitely need a test run soon.

Can you close off the sides and top with some wood, rugs, etc.? That would help immensely as it sounds like it's wide open.

 

[NatJ]

Can you close off the sides and top with some wood, rugs, etc.? That would help immensely as it sounds like it's wide open.

If it is inside a garage, I would not do that. The garage already protects the brooder from wind and from at least some drafts, and the brooder plate is not really going to heat the rest of the brooder no matter how much you close it up. I think the ventilation is more valuable than trying to retain heat.

I would start by trying the space heater near the brooder, to see if it can heat the area enough for the brooder plate to work properly. If that works, it is probably the easiest solution.

 

[Debbie292d]

If it is inside a garage, I would not do that. The garage already protects the brooder from wind and from at least some drafts, and the brooder plate is not really going to heat the rest of the brooder no matter how much you close it up. I think the ventilation is more valuable than trying to retain heat.

I would start by trying the space heater near the brooder, to see if it can heat the area enough for the brooder plate to work properly. If that works, it is probably the easiest solution.

I just felt bad picturing 3 newborn chicks in a wire cage in the middle of a garage. Maybe if he posted a picture it wouldn't seem so cold. I'm in Wisconsin vs. Florida, so big difference there too!