New born chics and heat plate vs heat lamp

I'm going to be brooding 5-10 chicks & this will be my first broody batch in a couple of years. The plan is to brood them indoors but my home is only 61 degrees this time of year. I'm scared to death of the potential for fires & worry every time I have to leave for work so a heat lamp terrifies me. Which has the least potential for tragedy....the heating plate or the heating pad over a sturdy metal frame?

Would I be better to get chicks shipped in July when the coop temps should be plenty hot enough to not need an external heat source? We start getting frosts as soon as early October. Will the chicks be able to withstand those temps at just 3-4 months old?
The heating plates are quite safe, I have zero worries using them. My Brinsea plate only uses 12 watts of power. Your chicks will still need a supplemental heat source regardless of when you brood them-think of what your nighttime temps are. A hen provides them with a constant 105 degrees they have 24/7 access to, the plate just replicates that. They will need the plate to regulate their body temperature at night, and possibly also during the day depending on your temps. They also need to be able to escape the heat to cool down, which is why the plates work so well.
 
I picked up my chicks 4 days ago. They were three days old. That night the temp went to 28. I was going to brood them in the barn but instead brought them inside due the cold and wind. I’m using the heat plate. Room temp is 68-70 degrees. They go under the plate when they are cold and right back out when they warm up. No heat lamp for them. The heat plate provides all they need. I did put a vet pad on the brooder floor. It doesn’t radiate heat but it is a warm surface when they lay on it. The chicks don’t really need it but they do like it. They will scratch pine shavings off the pad at night and lay on the pad. It’s hard plastic but they seem to love it.

i have no real Concerns about the heat plate and fire. Also, the chicks seem to like coming out and are very active in the cooler ambient air. I think a constant 95 degrees would be too much on them.
 
The heating plates are quite safe, I have zero worries using them. My Brinsea plate only uses 12 watts of power. Your chicks will still need a supplemental heat source regardless of when you brood them-think of what your nighttime temps are. A hen provides them with a constant 105 degrees they have 24/7 access to, the plate just replicates that. They will need the plate to regulate their body temperature at night, and possibly also during the day depending on your temps. They also need to be able to escape the heat to cool down, which is why the plates work so well.
I looked into the heating plates & I have to say I feel a good bit more relaxed about them than the old-fashioned heat lamp method. I've used the heating pad over a frame method before & it worked fine but, if the electric blipped off for even a split second, the heating pad would shut off & not come back on until I could manually push the buttons....not good if it does it an hour into my 8-hr. work day & the chicks are struggling to stay warm for 7 hrs! Sooooo.....I opted to purchase one of the "scratch & dent" Brinsea units....they're in perfect working order & still have the 3 yr warranty, they just might have a mark or scratch on them that isn't as visually appealing as a "regular" one. Not a big deal IMO & it saved me $30 on the purchase price!

Are there any bedding choices I should avoid when using a heating plate? I usually just use a bit of loose, soft hay that falls from the bales I feed my other livestock.
 

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