Outdoor Brooder

[BigBlueHen53]

The brooder plate does not put out ambient or radiant heat, it warms the chicks by contact, like a mother hen. Be sure it doesn't burn your hand if yiu touch it.

 

[Michelle14]

x2. It's too much heat. The towel is also a fire hazard with the lamp and blocks of ventilation. Just a brooder plate should be fine, though make sure it's functioning properly in lower temps as many have disclaimers saying they're optimal for use in 50F and above.

This is my outdoor brooder that sits in the run. Ventilation on all 4 sides and I use a heating pad for heat.

View attachment 4110021

 

[Michelle14]

I think I’m going to remove the towel, and I’ve been checking temperature with a thermometer, heat lamp/brooder plate end reads 88-93 degrees and the other end reads about 61-65 degrees on the no heat part. I also purchased a 2nd brooder plate since this one seems a bit small and I’ll be ditching the heat lamp and just using the 2 plates. But I won’t get that till Friday.

 

[NatJ]

I’ve been checking temperature with a thermometer, heat lamp/brooder plate end reads 88-93 degrees and the other end reads about 61-65 degrees on the no heat part.

Those temperatures sound good to me! If the cool end gets even cooler, that would also be fine.

Although if the heat lamp is making it that warm, you don't really need the brooder plate at all. I don't think it will cause any harm to have the brooder plate too, just that it's not really needed.

 

[Michelle14]

Those temperatures sound good to me! If the cool end gets even cooler, that would also be fine.

Although if the heat lamp is making it that warm, you don't really need the brooder plate at all. I don't think it will cause any harm to have the brooder plate too, just that it's not really needed.

Yeah I’m thinking about ditching the heat lamp on Friday, I ordered a bigger brooder plate that goes down to 70 degrees, so I can decrease the heat slowly every week. I think they should be relatively ok with both brooder plates

 

[xyzcornelia]

I have a similar brooder!