Heat lamp vs. Heat pad

[MTP55]

I'll look I to that cave idea. On a side note, has anyone ever had a chicks eyes get pecked? I couldnt figure out why one was standing there after the others scurried off when I came to the brooder. Both its eyes are pecked, I think it happened during their trip here from the hatchery. I held it to the waterer so it could drink and had it eat off my hand.

 

[Compost King]

I like heat plates better than Heat Lamps but I am finding some flaws. it its rated for 20 chicks then 2 weeks later it only handles 10 or 15 chicks because there is not enough room under it for all 20 as they grow. This is fine in summer but in winter when its cold outside of the brooder plate I can see issues.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I like heat plates better than Heat Lamps but I am finding some flaws. it its rated for 20 chicks then 2 weeks later it only handles 10 or 15 chicks because there is not enough room under it for all 20 as they grow. This is fine in summer but in winter when its cold outside of the brooder plate I can see issues.

I haven't had little chicks outside once it drops lower than around mid to low 30s Fahrenheit so I'm not sure about temps lower than that but so far I haven't had any issues with the number of chicks because as they grow, they spend less and less time under the heat plate and often prefer hanging out on top of the heat plate. When you actually have higher numbers of chicks they also keep each other warmer. This is much like what you see when they're with a broody hen but then again I've never had a broody hen raising 20 chicks either. lol!

 

[Compost King]

I haven't had little chicks outside once it drops lower than around mid to low 30s Fahrenheit so I'm not sure about temps lower than that but so far I haven't had any issues with the number of chicks because as they grow, they spend less and less time under the heat plate and often prefer hanging out on top of the heat plate. When you actually have higher numbers of chicks they also keep each other warmer. This is much like what you see when they're with a broody hen but then again I've never had a broody hen raising 20 chicks either. lol!

I agree on all your points, the only problem I will have is that I do not keep my brooders in heated rooms, I only climate control one tiny room in my house since I live alone I have a computer/Bedroom that I heat and cool. The inside brooder is in a room that gets rather cool in winter so I am going to need to make some sort of adjustment. I ended up buying 2 brooder plates to adjust but I may need a plan B if I end up with a 100% hatch of 42 chicks 2 weeks before a cold spell. But without these problems I might die from complacency/Boredom.
Now a power outage in winter could really do me some harm but I am working on a plan B for that too.

 

[NNYchick]

I use the Mama heat pad with a sunbeam heating pad that has no auto shut off. I did not make mine into a cave mine is more of a Pseudo-brooder plate- heating pad bungeed to a wire rack with adjustable legs. I do brood chicks at a week old out in the coop and have done so with ambient temperatures in the 20-30's F with no issues with heat for the chicks. I have not ever used a heat lamp so I cant compare but I have never lost a chick in the brooder so I know it works. I have watched my chicks being raised by broody hens and I like this is the same concept and closer to providing them with heat like a broody would and they learn day/night cycle from day one.
It funny my first hatch, my husband kept saying you should go check your chicks because I have not heard them all day. He was use to when friends raising chicks with heat lamp in brooder they would peep all day and night but we learned with the mama heat pad they are content and quite.