I find the lamp is easier to use, allows chicks more freedom to find the right warm spot for them without crowding, it’s easier to adjust, and I like being able to monitor them, not having them hidden under the plate all the time.
I have been successfully using red heat lamps for almost 40 years. Maybe I'm too old to change. All these posts about how great these "new" heat plates makes me feel like a dinosaur. However, I don't trust something I can't see, and with the red heat lamps, I can see how my chicks are doing all the time. Thanks for your post. I don't feel so out of time.