Which one is the best? The brooder lamp or the heating plate?

[Girly White Silkie]

The heating plates do that too, if the OP means what I think she does.

Thanks!

 

[Molpet]

I am a heating pad person.. because those plates are expensive https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

 

[imnukensc]

I use this heating plate. http://www.hogslat.com/comfort-heating-plate-for-chicks Less expensive than the Brinsea. Rather than using the cover to keep the chicks mess off of it, I just use Press N Seal on top of it. When it gets nasty, just peel it off and put on new.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would make a heating pad brooder. the cost is a fraction of the cost of a heating plate, and they do not use any where near as much electricity as a heat lamp, and are much safer than a heat lamp.

 

[TattooedChicks]

I started with a heat lamp for my first brood but quickly converted to the heating pad method after that. Worked great for my last round of bantams who started day one in the coop and never spent a minute in a traditional brooder box. By 3 weeks they really didn’t want the pad any more, though this was during the height of summer and the ambient temp was more than enough for them. The lamp was brutal on my electric bill though.

 

[debid]

IMO, unless you are raising 40+ chicks at a time, you should be deciding between building a heating pad hen and buying a heating plate. I say this having used both.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Which is best, yellow or green? Which is best, a ranch style house or a shot-gun? Which is best pork chops or sausage? Which is best, green beans or corn? Which way to provide heat the the brooder is best, it depends mostly on your opinion. There are many different ways to provide a warm spot in your brooder, if they are set up correctly they all work and are quite safe. If they are not set up properly they can all have issues.

There are advantages and disadvantages with all of them. Some work better than others depending on your circumstances and conditions. I'm not going to blindly say this is the best for you knowing nothing about your circumstances. Instead I'll ask a few questions.

How many chicks will you have? Will you be brooding them in some climate controlled area like inside your house or will they be somewhere they can experience some pretty big temperature swings. I brood in my coop in winter, some nights can be in the mid-teens. Two days later they can be in the mid 70's Fahrenheit. That's a lot different than setting up a brooder where the temperature will always be at a certain temperature in the 70's.

How long do you expect them to remain in the brooder, how old will they be when you take them out? What breeds are you getting? I'd guess they will be one or two days old when you get them, whether that is straight from your incubator, in the mail, or from a feed store. A rough idea of where you live and what time of year you plan to get them might be good information so we know what type of climate you'll have then.

I may ask a few more questions depending on your answers but I think I can make a reasonable suggestion or two with this information that actually suits your conditions.

 

[Girly White Silkie]

I use this heating plate. http://www.hogslat.com/comfort-heating-plate-for-chicks Less expensive than the Brinsea. Rather than using the cover to keep the chicks mess off of it, I just use Press N Seal on top of it. When it gets nasty, just peel it off and put on new.

Thanks!

 

[Girly White Silkie]

Which is best, yellow or green? Which is best, a ranch style house or a shot-gun? Which is best pork chops or sausage? Which is best, green beans or corn? Which way to provide heat the the brooder is best, it depends mostly on your opinion. There are many different ways to provide a warm spot in your brooder, if they are set up correctly they all work and are quite safe. If they are not set up properly they can all have issues.

There are advantages and disadvantages with all of them. Some work better than others depending on your circumstances and conditions. I'm not going to blindly say this is the best for you knowing nothing about your circumstances. Instead I'll ask a few questions.

How many chicks will you have? Will you be brooding them in some climate controlled area like inside your house or will they be somewhere they can experience some pretty big temperature swings. I brood in my coop in winter, some nights can be in the mid-teens. Two days later they can be in the mid 70's Fahrenheit. That's a lot different than setting up a brooder where the temperature will always be at a certain temperature in the 70's.

How long do you expect them to remain in the brooder, how old will they be when you take them out? What breeds are you getting? I'd guess they will be one or two days old when you get them, whether that is straight from your incubator, in the mail, or from a feed store. A rough idea of where you live and what time of year you plan to get them might be good information so we know what type of climate you'll have then.

I may ask a few more questions depending on your answers but I think I can make a reasonable suggestion or two with this information that actually suits your conditions.

Thanks!

 

[Girly White Silkie]

I am a heating pad person.. because those plates are expensive https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

Thanks!