Heat lamp or Heat plate?

[mdees88]

What happens if the bulb pops? Anyone had to deal with that? Seeing reviews of bulbs constantly popping. Are the chicks safe or will they end up eating the smaller shards?

Going to keep mine indoors for 3 to 4 weeks so a 75 to 100 Watt bulb should be enough.

I use two 100w bulbs on a dimmer switch. If you only have 1 bulb and it blows, you'll have dead chick's if they're young. That's why I use two bulbs. Here's my design....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-storage-tote-quail-chick-brooder.1247747/

 

[uktech]

I like your brooder and redundancy is an important factor. But I was more concerned about glass from the bulb since the infrared bulbs tend to explode.

 

[Doc7]

Mama heat pad only 10-15 dolars
I use this
https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Electric-UltraHeat-Technology-Machine-Washable/dp/B00006IV4N
12x15 inch, there is no auto shut off despite’s what description says, read comments. Been using for 3 years, 20-40 days at a time each.

 

[Doc7]

I have to go with heat lamps. Plates/pads have limited capacity and have to be rather precise on the temp. With a lamp I can have it as hot as I want as long as the brooder is large enough to have a cool end. The chick's will find the spot in the brooder that's most comfortable to them.

a pad does not neeed to be precise. The whole point of a pad is that you literally never need to take a temperature (never have a single time in mine.)

I put my sunbeam heat pad on “high” if it is 15-25 degrees F outside where the chicks brood in the coop starting on hatch day. Medium above that, and low when chicks are 2 weeks old. I put it in day before hatch and take it out after 3 weeks or so. No precision at all, no adjustments made ever. The chicks push their backs to it when cold and run around when not (most of the day).

this pic taken when it was 35 degree outside :

 

[Punkybrewster]

I use a Sunbeam heating pad with no auto shut off. Easiest thing ever. And cheap.

When they are newly hatched, i use bungie cords to attach to the underside of a wire cookie rack. They love it.

1-2 weeks later i change the rack out with a taller wire cabinet shelf from walmart. Gives a couple inches more of head room.

When i see them sitting on top of it instead of under it on low setting, i know its time to remove it from the brooder.

 

[mdees88]

a pad does not neeed to be precise. The whole point of a pad is that you literally never need to take a temperature (never have a single time in mine.)

I put my sunbeam heat pad on “high” if it is 15-25 degrees F outside where the chicks brood in the coop starting on hatch day. Medium above that, and low when chicks are 2 weeks old. I put it in day before hatch and take it out after 3 weeks or so. No precision at all, no adjustments made ever. The chicks push their backs to it when cold and run around when not (most of the day).

this pic taken when it was 35 degree outside :
View attachment 2184882

That's good to know.

So where do they usually sleep, under the pad or outside? If it happens to be too hot under the pad and there's no heat source outside the pad, it seems like there's not a very comfortable place for them to rest at.

I guess they would run under it for a bit then come back out, back and forth....

 

[Doc7]

That's good to know.

So where do they usually sleep, under the pad or outside? If it happens to be too hot under the pad and there's no heat source outside the pad, it seems like there's not a very comfortable place for them to rest at.

I guess they would run under it for a bit then come back out, back and forth....

young chicks are about halfway,if it’s 29-39 degrees they are farther back where their back is touching it.

do you see my photo? The pad is at a 45 degree angle to the chips. It is on the wood chips in the back, and supported by 2x4 chunks making it 3” high in the front.

The chicks can be in the back (cozy, back against pad, sleeping), halfway (standing or laying down, typically standing as they get older and laying down for short breaks the first2-3 days of life) or at the very entrance (a little warmer than ambient air). They have infinite adjustability. There is no too hot or too cold. They stand in the exact spot they want from hot as blazes (where thepad touch the wood chips in the back) to ambient temps outside the pad.

Mama heat pad isn’t the biggest technical post on this message board for no reason.

 

[Doc7]

 

[mdees88]

Sloping the pad makes a lot of sense, different amounts of heat under it.

This is what I was thinking about in my post...

This plate has to maintain a rather precise temp to keep the chick's comfortable. If it's too hot seems like they'll go under it for a second then come back out and go back and forth. Seems like there's not a perfect spot they're comfortable unless the heat pad is operating at a comfortable temp (which most probably do).

What I like about the heat lamp is I can have the hot end of my brooder 110F or hotter, doesn't matter (as long as there's a cool end). The chick's will position themselves far enough from the heat lamp where it's the perfect temp....

But if you angled that heat plate it kinda works the same way....

 

[Doc7]

Sloping the pad makes a lot of sense, different amounts of heat under it.

This is what I was thinking about in my post...

View attachment 2185463

This plate has to maintain a rather precise temp to keep the chick's comfortable. If it's too hot seems like they'll go under it for a second then come back out and go back and forth. Seems like there's not a perfect spot they're comfortable unless the heat pad is operating at a comfortable temp (which most probably do).

What I like about the heat lamp is I can have the hot end of my brooder 110F or hotter, doesn't matter (as long as there's a cool end). The chick's will position themselves far enough from the heat lamp where it's the perfect temp....

But if you angled that heat plate it kinda works the same way....

All they do is make it the temperature of a hens body. It works exactly the same way as a hen - and chicks don’t have issues with those being too hot too cold and darting back and forth.