Will a Horizontal Overhead Heater Properly Heat my New Chick’s Home?

This has come up so many times in the store this last week I had to address the question here.

Lots of people have been looking at these new heat plates which chicks can crawl under to get warmed up and everybody seems to want one.

Please check this article after reading this current page.

First Things First

• Almost every single one of these horizontal plates have no thermostats and do not get hot enough for Hatchery Chick’s that have just traveled for 2 days.
• If it appears to be High-Tech and is on Amazon for $50, that means it possibly cost $10 to make and warehouse and might be a piece of junk!
• Hatchery Chick’s need 95-100 Degrees F (35-38 Degrees C) to get their body heat up to proper temp.
• In the 1st Week after arrival, it is imperative to get chicks 4 days worth of Electrolytes (PoulVite) and the heated airspace which comes from an Infrared Bulb.
• These plates do not radiate heat into the airspace below, they heat on the surface which warms the Chick’s Heads! Their Body Heat has to do the rest, problem is they struggle to regain lost heat from transport conditions.
• Look at pictures and videos of Chicks under these plates, they are huddled there because they are sometimes struggling to get warm and these plates are not doing the job!
• A properly laid out Brooder allows the Chick’s to regulate their own temperature requirements by giving them the ability to move to a cooler area when they feel the urge to. Crowding under the heat source means they are not getting enough heat.
• After the first couple weeks a heat plate may be just fine for the chicks because they will be stronger and more stable in their new environment. By this time their heat requirements have also dropped. If you don’t raise that plate accordingly and frequently it’s tough to get weekly temps dropping properly.
• If Mama Hen hatched the egg, the Chick likely does not need the same amount of coddling and care that a transported Hatchery Chick needs. Mother Nature gets it right lots of the time, but when we manufacture things it takes some special requirements to meet Her standard.
• Standing under a warm plate is not like being snuggled into Mama’s feathers. Being snuggled under Mama is like being enveloped in warmth instead of just standing under an umbrella.
• We stock lots 250 watt and 175 watt lights which should cover the bases for heating and dropping temps appropriately.
• No matter what heat source you use the ambient temp around the Brooder needs to be consistent with no drafts present. Ambient external temps will affect Brooder temps unless controlled by a thermostat.
• One is None, always have a spare bulb waiting for when you need it. We are stocking 2 packs of all bulbs in the store.
• Just because you saw it on a YouTube Video does not make it true, lots of those videos have updates a year later saying the information in the last video was not right or was wrong because of ……… blah blah blah. Lots of bad information videos stay up because they all generate income. Be careful who you trust or listen to and always read comments carefully looking for people who are smarter and give better info disputing video claims.

What’s Good About Them

• They give off no light, this is a good thing after the first week of Infrared Light Heat. Everything needs and deserves a sleep time, lack of light stops the chicks from eating overnight and gives them a natural night time.
• If you really want to use one of these after the first couple weeks of Infrared Light Heat we suggest using a controllable Thermostat to turn it on and off as required so proper temps can be maintained. We stock great digital controllers for under $50.