Help! We need Recommendations/Thoughts on these items for chicks?

[Little Farm Girl]

Can those that use one, tell me what the wattage of their respective MHPs are?
And what did all the parts cost?

Same questions as ChickenCanoe.

 

[aart]

Can those that use one, tell me what the wattage of their respective MHPs are?
And what did all the parts cost?

Controller on mine says 180W.
Didn't keep track of power used on this pad, might use the Kill-A-Watt next spring to tell you what the actual power usage was. Used KAW with an old pad and power cost was negligible.

Didn't add up all the parts I played with, but overall cost for size is less than a large Premier plate.
I use this rack.

OK, got curious and compiled cost
Pack of small bungies, ~$3-4
Threaded rod, ~$2-3
Pad $35
Rack $18
Tnuts ~$1
----------
Total ~$60 for this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

 

[Little Farm Girl]

Have any of you guys used a pet heating pad for chicks?
Like this one...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The Premier 1 still gets my vote. Looking at the price, I fought it for a long time. I had built 2 Ohio brooders. Both have sockets at opposite ends for IR heat lamps or ceramic emitters. I still use them when I have to brood 50-100 chicks or more - especially at temperatures down near freezing at night. (MHPs and heat plates can't do that)
But normally I'm only brooding up to 30 chicks. So at the urging of a couple others on BYC, I did the math.
If I used one of the big brooders for a batch of chicks, the Premier 1 would pay for itself in a single brooding in electric savings.
I bought an extra small and a small.
They use 15 watts and 22 watts respectively.
I highly recommend getting the cover because it prevents chicks from roosting on top
The extra small with cover is $57 and the small is $68.
They are very easy to clean and don't need laundering.
Between the two, I can brood up to 35 chicks. Basically, it hasn't cost me anything to brood chicks for the last 3 years since they paid for themselves after a couple months.

If anyone buys one, I would recommend getting a couple spare legs with the order so you aren't in a bind should one break. I've only had one leg break in the first 4 years but they become very awkward to use if a leg breaks.

 

[Folly's place]

x2! I'd rather get a product that's designed for the use intended, and not rig up something myself, especially with electricity, and lives at stake.
Buying a good large pad, and setting it up, wasn't worth it for me. The Premier plates work fine and are very easy to use, and I've get heat lamps as backup for emergencies. In warm weather, the brooder plate is much safer than a heat lamp, which is harder to manage without overheating the chicks.
Mary

 

[Little Farm Girl]

x2! I'd rather get a product that's designed for the use intended, and not rig up something myself, especially with electricity, and lives at stake.
Buying a good large pad, and setting it up, wasn't worth I for me. The Premier plates work fine and are very easy to use, and I've get heat lamps as backup for emergencies. In warm weather, the brooder plate is much safer than a heat lamp, which is harder to manage without overheating the chicks.
Mary

I agree Mary, I think she(my daughter) is going to go with the premier1 medium sized one and try it out this spring.

 

[aart]

Have any of you guys used a pet heating pad for chicks?

These usually work by staying just a few degrees above ambient temp...and often weight of animal turns them on......so wouldn't work for chicks. This has been brought up numerous times, never remember anyone using it with success.

 

[aart]

We could debate plate vs pad all day, they both work well.
All depends on your nature and tolerance for the variables,
as well as your chickeneering goals and facilities.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

x2! I'd rather get a product that's designed for the use intended, and not rig up something myself, especially with electricity, and lives at stake.
Buying a good large pad, and setting it up, wasn't worth it for me. The Premier plates work fine and are very easy to use, and I've get heat lamps as backup for emergencies. In warm weather, the brooder plate is much safer than a heat lamp, which is harder to manage without overheating the chicks.
Mary

When necessary to use a socket for heating birds, I use ceramic heat emitters in either 75 or 150 watt. I abandoned the 250 W glass ones a long time ago.

 

[Blooie]

We could debate plate vs pad all day, they both work well.
All depends on your nature and tolerance for the variables,
as well as your chickeneering goals and facilities.

Amen! It all depends on your personal comfort zone. You are there, I am not, so just telling you what works well for me, in my situation, within my comfort zone is not the same as telling you that you have to use what I do. I present it as an alternative - nothing more, nothing less.

My only cost was the heating pad. I had everything laying around the place. I had a scrap of fencing. I had a stack of old threadbare towels. I had a roll of Press ‘n’ Seal. I had a dog ex pen to use as a brooder pen. And I had scraps of hardware cloth left from the coop build. So my cost was around $25.00.

As far as safety, any device you plug in runs the risk of fire, from your coffee pot to your phone charger. Even wires within walls present a fire hazard, and don’t need to have a thing plugged into them to start one. I’m lucky to be married to a professional electrician who hardwired my coop and run, used correctly rated outdoor covered outlets, and installed everything up to code. But I’d rather touch the top of a running heating pad than a running heat lamp. Even the commmercial heat plates get warmer on top than the heating pads do. And some, manufactured for use in Europe, need an adapter or regulator (can’t recall which now but can find out) in order to avoid overheating. My goal is more than just warming chicks - I want to mimic a broody hen as closely as possible, from the soft, cuddly surface for lounging to the darkness of being “under” the heating pad cave for security and sleep. The only thing my chicks don’t have to do is look for her when they need her....MHP is always in one place. But that’s me and what I’m trying to do, not necessarily what’s right for everyone.

In the end, we all want the same things.....a safe method of providing heat and healthy chicks. How we achieve that is entirely up to us.