pet heating pad vs heat lamp

[Bryana2002]

For chicks can you use a pet heating pad instead of a brooder or heat lamp?

 

[NatJ]

For chicks can you use a pet heating pad instead of a brooder or heat lamp?

Sometimes yes, in certain ways.

Search the forum for threads about "mama heating pad" for a way that appears to work pretty well.

Chicks do seem to need heat over top of them, not underneath their feet. So it will probably not work to put the heating pad on the floor and expect chicks to sit on top of it to be warm.

 

[Ridgerunner]

People successfully use heating pads, heat plates, and heat lamps when they are set up correctly. I'll attach a link to the heating pad thread I think NatJ was alluding to.

Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

 

[SnackMeat]

We use a seed heat mat but have it in such a way that it creates a little cave tunnel for them to go in and out of.

I like that it's easy for them to get outside the sphere of heat so they shouldn't get overheated. And that because there is the heated area and then the room temperature area, less pasty butt issues (or so I've read. I haven't had a heat lamp so I don't have a comparison.)

 

[NatJ]

I like that it's easy for them to get outside the sphere of heat so they shouldn't get overheated. And that because there is the heated area and then the room temperature area, less pasty butt issues (or so I've read. I haven't had a heat lamp so I don't have a comparison.)

I have used heat lamps, and I know they can be set up to provide a warm area and a cool area. It's a matter of having the brooder big enough, and using the right size bulb to provide the heat. If the brooder is too small for the amount of heat provided, I agree the chicks cannot get away from the heat, and that does cause problems.

 

[SnackMeat]

True. They are popular because they work for sure. But you also have to fiddle with them and when things go wrong they go *really wrong.*

I am also partial to having a heating element that does not require light to be on. I have noticed the chicks seem to get more rest and are quieter when there is darkness for sleep. It helps to have a slow light transition because they will freak out if going from full light to full darkness. But light on all the time because of needing the heat doesn't seem ideal for circadian rhythms, and getting the chicks well rested. Plus, a lot of people keep brooders in their house and having them quiet at night if you yourself are sleeping within earshot of the brooder is a good idea as well.


I've also seen a great write up about no heat sources for chicks so long as they are out of direct cold and wind. That was really eye opening regarding the "lower the brooder five degrees every week older the chicks get," conventional wisdom. I'll see if I can find it later on.


However, ultimately, people can use whatever they want. Knowing the downsides is good to prevent fires or cooking your birds to death. I would suggest a heat lamp purchase because I feel there are better things to buy but if someone already had a heat lamp and was tight in money I would say use what you have.

 

[NatJ]

ultimately, people can use whatever they want. Knowing the downsides is good

Exactly. The "best" heat source depends on the specific situation (including things like how many chicks, and whether the chicks are inside a human home with central heating, or in a barn that drops below freezing at night, or something in between.)

For a small number of chicks, inside a human house, I think that a brooder plate or a heating pad cave is usually a better choice than a heat lamp.