Brooder heating plates ok over shavings?

[texsuze]

My small batch of four chicks scheduled to arrive next month. I plan to use a brooder plate, and have wool hen available. Are the brooder plates safe to use on top of shavings as bedding? I'll probably raise one side of the plate to have a slanted orientation. Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The temperature isn't high enough with any of the plates I'm familiar with to be unsafe around shavings. The wattage isn't high enough to be a problem.
What brand of plate are you using?
It isn't necessary to slant them. Just raise the plate as they grow.

 

[DobieLover]

Yes. They don't get that hot. You should slant it regardless so the chicks can choose how close they want to be to the heat.

My small batch of four chicks scheduled to arrive next month. I plan to use a brooder plate, and have wool hen available. Are the brooder plates safe to use on top of shavings as bedding? I'll probably raise one side of the plate to have a slanted orientation. Thanks!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So long as they aren't touching the heat source, they'll be fine

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think the concern was about causing a fire in the shavings.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As others have said, in working order, they are fine. and in any event, they are safer than working heat bulbs, where the "red" style or the black ceramics.

 

[ninafe]

As long as the heating plate is high enough that it is not touching the shavings- you'd be just fine. However I wouldn't just plug it in and leave it be the first day- monitor it once in a while in case something weird is going on with the heating plate (overheating, etc). I was super paranoid with my heating plate so I started using it over pine shavings on a Saturday that I was home and just popped over every few hours or so to make sure everything was fine.

 

[texsuze]

Thanks, all. Yes my question was re: shavings becoming overheated/catching fire. I have two brooder plates (mfg??? they're over in the barn right now), one is the small orange and gray brand designed to slant, and the other black square with yellow plastic legs that screw up/down to change height. I do plan to plug both in and monitor heat output before chicks arrive.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A properly functioning plate doesn't get nearly hot enough to set anything on fire. They should be warm/hot but still low enough to make contact with, as the chicks will be pressing themselves against it too.