If you think you need the heat in your coop, I would use it,, I would have no problem with the safety factor using this in my coop .
You can raise it up so it sits higher for the bigger babies to go under it, tho mine are right now 6 weeks old, a few of them could fit under it laying down, not...
I'll put a plug in for this as well, and have to say, when I got it two weeks ago, I was worried it wouldn't be sufficient for 2 day old chicks, I thought I might have to supplement with a heat lamp..It just didn't register the temp under it higher than 80, but then was told it is a different...