Does anyone have this heating plate? How does it hold up in sub-50 degree F weather?

[Sam Houston]

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heating-plates-and-covers

I purchased this heating plate to be used with my first set of chicks. So far, it has worked great, but we have only had them for 5 days total. The temperature at the edges is around 85-90 degrees so I assume the interior is around the perfect temp. At night, I put towels over their stock tank brooder to keep the heat in as it has been reaching temperatures of around 50 degrees F here. When I measure the temperature of the brooder outside of the heat plate at night I see they are around 60-65 degrees F. In the next few days, we will be hitting temperatures of 30 degrees F at night. Will the chickens be safe under the heating plate at these temperatures? I have seen some concerns about heating plates only operating correctly over 50 degrees F ambient temperature, but I see no such warning for this heating plate.

 

[LadyLocust]

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heating-plates-and-covers

I purchased this heating plate to be used with my first set of chicks. So far, it has worked great, but we have only had them for 5 days total. The temperature at the edges is around 85-90 degrees so I assume the interior is around the perfect temp. At night, I put towels over their stock tank brooder to keep the heat in as it has been reaching temperatures of around 50 degrees F here. When I measure the temperature of the brooder outside of the heat plate at night I see they are around 60-65 degrees F. In the next few days, we will be hitting temperatures of 30 degrees F at night. Will the chickens be safe under the heating plate at these temperatures? I have seen some concerns about heating plates only operating correctly over 50 degrees F ambient temperature, but I see no such warning for this heating plate.

Calling @Amish Heart Not sure who else here starts their own chicks.

 

[Amish Heart]

Never tried a heating plate, but it's worth a try. My grandma used a lantern. My favorite cousin's daughter puts them by the wood burning stove. Neither of those methods are exact temps and they worked. The thing is to keep them warm. They will pant and try to get away from the heat if too warm. I always put a heat lamp on one side of the brooder, so they can get under it, or go to the other side if too warm. I keep the water on the not too warm side. Turkeys need a bit higher temp than chicken chicks. Just make sure that they can get heat from the plate or not if they're too hot.

 

[Caribou]

You got me on that one. I was trying to figure out where you were that it was -50º. Then I saw the TN, and translated the title. Which size did you buy? Keep us informed as to how well it worked.

 

[Sam Houston]

I think I am going to buy a heat lamp but just keep it as a backup. I will monitor the brooder temperatures at night and bring out the heat lamp if the plate can't keep up.

I was trying to figure out where you were that it was -50º.

Woops, didn't even think about that I have the "small" size for 6 chicks and I think it will support them until they're fully grown. The sizing they give on the website is for newborn chicks, I don't think you could get away with supporting 20 chicks that are a few weeks old. I will report back after the week is over (hopefully with all chicks intact).

 

[Amish Heart]

I just use a Rubbermaid tub, line it with newspaper and a little straw, then clip a heatlamp on the rim of it. I put them in it from the incubator after they've dried off a bit. Dip their beak in water when you first put them in, and sprinkle a bit of chick starter on the newspaper so they can identify what it is and start eating.

 

[dademoss]

Never tried one, got a couple "reptile heaters", but the girls are easter eggers and dont give a flip about "cold". Below 0 I will turn on the heat, and they will sit under it, they are not stupid

50 is t-shirt weather here

 

[Tim Horton]

50 is T shirt weather here.... Bwahahahhhaa... Yes.. Sweaty T shirt weather at that...

I've seen chicks kept in small bunches with a traditional heat lamp and an old feather duster hung up by the handle low enough for them to huddle under like a live hen..

 

[Amish Heart]

Set the brooder up today..chicks should be hatching in the next couple of days

 

[Sam Houston]

No issues with the chicks. For now I can endorse the heating plate in sub-50 degrees weather. I snuck my infrared thermometer under the plate the other day and it still read over 100 degrees so the plate doesn't seem to have any issues, although the ground underneath the plate is much colder (so the plate is staying warm but is unable to radiate enough heat to keep the ground up-to-temp). This doesn't seem to be an issue though since the chicks can just go to a lower section and snuggle up close to the plate.