Had to choose between a heat lamp and a brooder plate for my chicks

I was setting up a brooder for 6 new chicks last spring and couldn't decide between the old school heat lamp I'd always used or one of those newfangled brooder plates. The heat lamp was 15 bucks at the farm store and I knew how it worked, but I kept reading about fire risks and chicks getting stuck under it. I went with the brooder plate despite the 50 dollar price tag because I liked the idea of them being able to snuggle under it like a mama hen. First few days I was nervous they'd be cold, but they figured it out quick and actually seemed calmer than past batches. The real test came when we had a power flicker at 2 AM and the lamp would have been blazing hot suddenly - the plate just slowly cooled off. I still keep the old lamp in the shed as backup, but I'm converted now. Has anyone else switched and noticed a difference in how their chicks act?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_torres13d ago

Yeah 6 chicks is the sweet spot where a plate really pays off.

wyatt_shah8513d ago

Man you're preaching to the choir. I switched last year after my neighbor's heat lamp almost caught his coop on fire and I've never looked back. My chicks literally line up under the brooder plate every evening like they're tucking themselves in, it's the cutest thing. The mess factor alone sold me too, no more crusty poop baked onto the bedding from the hot spot right under the lamp. I did have one stubborn chick who refused to go under for the first two days, just sat in the corner peeping, but after that she figured it out. Now I tell everyone just starting out to skip the lamp and save the headache.