I had seen these heat plates/electric hens for sale online, I read that there was potential issues with them being to hot to touch and the fear of burning chicks.
I didn't want to have a 250w heat lamp burning 24/7 so I made my own heat 'plate' it cost me about £3 or $5, its basically a stainless steel dog bowl fitted with a 15w pigmy lamp and I cut a light weight aluminium or aluminum disc the same diameter as the bowl which acts as a radiant cover, the cover sits 1/4" off the lamp. Its constantly between 100 and 105 at the warmest point directly below the lamp, I can move it up and down and as close or as far as I want too the chicks. I can hold the back of my hand to the plate without any discomfort and it cant get any warmer due to malfunction ect.
I currently have 8 Pekin Bantams in the brooder as of today and they are all huddled underneath the plate pushing up against it.
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