Love my Eco Glow! But... Premier1 has nice brooding plates also, just as another source and idea. Their larger ones are less expensive than Brinseas. I've not ordered one, but have considered it.
This year, I had too many small brooder totes inside, and only one Eco Glow, so I decided to try the reptile infrared heat bulbs. They've been great! No light output, so they get used to the dark, like with the MHP and brooder plates, and not as dangerous as heat lamp bulbs. Plus I can keep a better eye on the youngest ones, instead of them hiding under the plate or MHP.
Also saw on another thread, someone had recently used these with the MHP. I think it would be a great, cheap and easy method.
@lazy gardener do you see any issue with using the heating pad with these?
I use a couple of those that fit together to extend as a shelf in my incubator. The only down side to those is if you cut the legs off to make them the right height for hatchlings, you will then be limited when it's time to make the MHP higher for older chicks. But, if you're creative, you can figure out how to get around that issue. IMO, the simpler the better. My favorite MHP frame (I have 3) is a section of welded wire fencing with 2 x 4" holes. I place pad and wire frame inside a fabric sleeve or "pillow case" to prevent chicks from getting caught between frame and pad, or otherwise coming up with a creative suicide method.
