# Heating plates



## KittyK (Feb 24, 2020)

Hello, I am new to this forum and I’m hoping to get some advice. I will be raising baby silkie chicks and it’s been a very long time since I’ve had chickens. I got a heating plate for them and I’m having mixed feeling about it. Any suggestions or reviews on them?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Welcome to the forum but I have to ask, what the heck is a heating plate? I did a quick search, the only thing that came up were hot plates. Going to try change my google terms and see if that brings anything up.


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## KittyK (Feb 24, 2020)

It is a heat plate for baby chicks. Try looking that up.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I guess I don't see the need for something like that. I found two places where people complained their peeps got burned. Another that said the plate was fully raised but still much too warm. 

I raised hundreds using a bell lamp with a red 65 watt bulb. Would I buy one today? No.


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## KittyK (Feb 24, 2020)

Thank you so much for your reply. So what you are saying is you don't see the need for the heating plate? I did buy one but I have not got my baby chicks in yet. I just want to make sure they are well taken care of and I'm doing as much research as I can before they arrive


robin416 said:


> I guess I don't see the need for something like that. I found two places where people complained their peeps got burned. Another that said the plate was fully raised but still much too warm.
> 
> I raised hundreds using a bell lamp with a red 65 watt bulb. Would I buy one today? No.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Which are the best words in the world to read: "doing the research"

It can easily overwhelm you with all the choices out there. The things you should or shouldn't do. 

As I mentioned, I raised a lot of peeps. I started off with the peeps in a bin, a bell lamp with a red 65w incandescent bulb. It was on a tripod so I could raise and lower it. My tripod at the time was one for a camera. 

Later I moved to a cage. Why the cage? You'll notice every time you look over the top of a bin it'll scare the wits out of the babies. Three of the sides and part of the top was covered to maintain heat. After a while the sides would come off. 

Everyone at the time was saying don't use shavings, they'll pack their crops with them. That made no sense to me, if peeps are raised with mommas they're on shavings. Needless to say I never lost any to shavings gorging. 

They are easy to raise if they have the right food and clean water and heat requirements are met. They are a blast to watch and amazing to see how fast they go from something so tiny to a full own fully feathered bird.


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## KittyK (Feb 24, 2020)

Thank you so much for replying back. I just want the best for my soon to be baby chicks. I work from 9-5 and i am just paranoid of the heat lamp as i heard they can cause fires. I do go home for my hour lunches and i am off weekends.



robin416 said:


> Which are the best words in the world to read: "doing the research"
> 
> It can easily overwhelm you with all the choices out there. The things you should or shouldn't do.
> 
> ...


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's why I specifically said a 65 watt incandescent bulb in a bell lamp. The fire risk is dropped all the way down to almost zero. Those heat lamps are dangerous. I know there are those that use them successfully but even me being home full time I never felt comfortable using them.

As a matter of fact, I still have the heat lamp bulb I started with and quit using because it scared me. And that's over 15 years ago.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I've used heat lamps and Brinsea heat plates. I love the heat plates. The brinsea ones get warm. Not hot. Ive left my hand on it as I was worried tooo about chicks burning. It's great to use as there is no red light at night or any light at night. You need to push them gently under it to get them to learn to use it, but once they figure it out they go under it on their own. They are adjustable and to me safer then heat lamps. I've hatched out alot of chicks and used both ways and prefer the heat plates. Now,you get what you pay for, so dont buy a cheap one.the brinsea ones are decently priced


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Here are pics. I have a brinsea (bright yellow one) and another one. Both are adjustable. I feel better using them vs the heat lamps.
And a picture of my heat lamp setup before I knew about the heat plates.my heat lamp was triple secured plus I had chicken wire up so the lamp couldn't fall in the brooder


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Here are pics of my heat plates and my heat lamp set up before I knew about the heat plates


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Anything that gets hot can be dangerous. It's all about taking precautions. Checking on the item (whichever you choose). Curling irons have started more fires than heat lamps but no one gives that a second thought. Space heaters are the same, if you want to use the heat plate that you've already bought, that's great, there's no problem, just do like Maryellen said and put your hand on it, make sure it's not too hot. I think those things are a good invention but they are expensive if you aren't going to be using it all of the time like those that hatch and raise chicks on a regular basis (Maryellen...hahaha). It' just not feasable for someone like me who gets 2 or 3 new chicks every few years. So I use a heat lamp but I am extremely cautious and constantly checking it, using thermometers etc. 

Welcome to the forum and congratulations in advance on your babies!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Lol broody hens are wayyy better


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She's getting Silkies so she'll get first hand experience with that.


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