I'm off to check out heating pad caves. Have you tried that method?
Yes, MHP all the way for me. @Blooie has a thread and article dealing with the method, and she held my hand through my first experience. I've brooded as few as 17 and as many as 48 with this method. IMO, the chicks are more socially adjusted, less prone to issues with aggression, less prone to stress, less issues with pasting up. They are naturally adjusted to day/night cycles, adjust to outside temperatures easier, and wean themselves off heat. Every year, we hear stories of heat lamp chicks who die from too much heat. Never an issue with MHP chicks. I've never seen a heat lamp chick sing herself to sleep, but those MHP chicks all go to bed at dusk, and the cave resonates with a very sweet little trill as they sing bed time lull-a-byes to each other.