If you'd asked me a few years ago whether you should brood chicks with a heat plate or a heat lamp, I would've told you heat plate. End of discussion.
I don't say that anymore.
After brooding a hell of a lot more chicks in different setups, I've changed my mind. I use both heat plates and heat lamps now, because I've learned that there isn't one perfect heat source for every brooder, every group of chicks, or every situation.
That doesn't mean I've forgotten about the safety concerns that come with heat lamps. I haven't. It also doesn't mean I suddenly think heat plates aren't great. I still use them and love them. I've just stopped pretending chicken keeping always comes with one right answer.
Heat plates and heat lamps warm chicks differently, and both have advantages and disadvantages. So instead of picking teams, let's talk about how they actually work, what I like and don't like about each one, and how to decide which makes sense for your chicks.
Why Baby Chicks Need Supplemental Heat
Newly hatched chicks can't regulate their body temperature as effectively as adult chickens can. Under natural conditions, they'd duck underneath a broody hen whenever they needed warmth and come back out to eat, drink, scratch around, and do important baby chicken things like kick every piece of bedding directly into the waterer.
When we're raising chicks without a broody hen, we have to provide that warmth for them.
The important part is that chicks need a choice. Whether you're using a heat plate or a heat lamp, the brooder should have a warm area and enough unheated space that chicks can move away when they're comfortable. You don't want to heat the entire brooder to one temperature and leave them nowhere to escape the heat.
Temperature guidelines are useful when setting up a brooder, but your chicks are also pretty damn good thermometers. Chicks crowding tightly together underneath or near the heat source and peeping loudly may be cold. Chicks avoiding the heated area, panting, or holding their wings away from their bodies may be too hot. Comfortable chicks generally move around the brooder, eat, drink, sleep, and return to the heat when they need it.
Watch the chicks, not just the thermometer.
How a Chick Heat Plate Works
A heat plate is designed to create a small, warm area that chicks can duck underneath, somewhat like they would with a broody hen. Depending on the particular plate, chicks warm themselves beneath it or through close proximity to the heated surface rather than having the entire brooder warmed from above.
One of the things I really like about heat plates is that chicks can come and go from the warmth whenever they want. They'll run around eating and drinking, disappear underneath for a warm-up or a nap, and come shooting back out when they're ready to cause more trouble.
The height of the plate matters. You want chicks to be able to comfortably get underneath it and access the warmth, and you'll need to raise it as they grow. I like having it slightly angled when possible so chicks of different sizes can find the spot that's comfortable for them rather than trying to make one height work perfectly for everybody.
What I Like About Heat Plates
Heat plates are generally much lower wattage than traditional brooder heat lamps, so they use less electricity and don't create the same intense overhead heat. They also don't produce light all night, which allows chicks to have a more natural light and dark cycle.
I also like them in smaller brooder setups because the chicks have a clearly defined warm place and plenty of room to move away from it. Once chicks no longer need supplemental heat, they tend to spend less and less time underneath the plate until they're basically ignoring the damn thing.
From a safety standpoint, I am much more comfortable with a properly used heat plate than I am with a high-wattage heat lamp hanging over combustible bedding. But I'm not going to tell you a heat plate has zero fire risk because it's still an electrical heating appliance. It needs to be used according to the manufacturer's instructions, kept in good condition, and plugged into an appropriate electrical setup.
What I Don't Like About Heat Plates
Heat plates aren't perfect.
The biggest limitation is space. Only so many chicks can comfortably fit underneath one, and the number on the box doesn't necessarily tell you everything you need to know about how well that plate will work with your particular chicks and setup. They grow ridiculously fast, and a plate that seemed enormous on hatch day can start looking pretty damn crowded a couple of weeks later.
Ambient temperature matters too. Heat plates are not all designed for the same conditions, and you need to pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations for the specific model you're using. A plate working beautifully in a brooder inside your house doesn't automatically mean that same setup will provide enough warmth in an unheated building during cold weather.
Then there's the top of the heat plate.
Chicks will climb on it.
Apparently you can provide an entire brooder full of things to do, but the one place they desperately need to stand is on top of their heat source. And because they're chicks, standing somewhere inevitably leads to pooping there.
Thankfully, they make domed covers for heat plates, and I use them. The cover keeps chicks from hanging out on top and makes a huge difference in keeping the plate clean. If you use a plate that has a compatible cover available, it's one accessory I personally think is worth having.
How a Heat Lamp Works
A heat lamp warms chicks from above by creating an area of radiant heat beneath the bulb. Unlike a heat plate, chicks don't crawl underneath a physical object to warm themselves. They move closer to or farther away from the heated area depending on what they need.
There are a few different ways to provide that overhead heat. Traditional brooder lamps may use clear or red heat bulbs. Clear bulbs provide both heat and bright visible light, while red heat bulbs still produce visible light but make the brooder considerably less bright. There are also heat-emitter bulbs that fit compatible heat-lamp fixtures and provide heat without lighting up the brooder. I prefer red over clear when I'm using a traditional heat bulb because I don't need the brooder lit up like an interrogation room 24 hours a day.
Heat-emitter bulbs come in different wattages and heat outputs just like other brooder heat sources. Some can get every bit as hot as a traditional heat bulb, while others produce less heat, so don't assume that switching to an emitter automatically means you're using a cooler or safer heat source. You still need to match the bulb or emitter to the fixture, make sure the socket is rated for it, provide proper clearance, and secure the lamp so it can't fall.
Whichever option you use, the goal is the same: create a warm area without heating the entire brooder. Your chicks should always have enough room to move completely away from the heat when they want to.
What I Like About Heat Lamps
One advantage of a heat lamp is the amount and area of heat it can provide. Depending on the brooder, ambient temperature, number of chicks, and equipment being used, there are situations where I want more heat output than I'm going to get from a plate.
That's one of the reasons I use heat lamps.
They're also useful when I'm brooding larger groups because I'm not limited by how many chicks can physically squeeze underneath a plate. I can create an appropriately sized heated zone while still leaving plenty of cooler space for chicks to move away from the heat.
Heat lamps are also easy to observe. I can walk into the brooder and immediately see where the chicks are in relation to the heat. If everybody is piled directly underneath it, I know I need to pay attention. If they're all hugging the far wall trying to get away from it, that's telling me something too.
What I Don't Like About Heat Lamps
Fire risk is still the biggest drawback for me.
A brooder heat lamp can become dangerously hot. If the fixture falls, shifts, comes into contact with combustible material, or is used with equipment that isn't rated for the bulb, you can have a serious problem very quickly. I don't trust a clamp by itself to hold a heat lamp over a brooder. The fixture needs to be securely supported so it cannot fall into the bedding or onto the brooder, and the electrical cord should never be what holds its weight.
The fixture and socket also need to be rated for the bulb you're using, and the lamp needs appropriate clearance from bedding, walls, covers, and anything else that can overheat or burn. This isn't the place for the random clamp light you found in the garage and a prayer.
Heat lamps generally use considerably more electricity than heat plates too, although exactly how much depends on the equipment you're comparing. They can also produce light along with heat, depending on the bulb, which is another reason to think about the actual setup rather than grabbing whatever bulb happens to be sitting on the feed-store shelf.
Heat Plate vs. Heat Lamp: Which Is Safer?
Heat plates generally have an advantage when it comes to safety because they operate differently from traditional high-temperature brooder lamps. There isn't a blazing-hot bulb suspended over bedding, and that removes one of the bigger hazards associated with using a heat lamp.
That doesn't mean a heat plate is risk-free. It's still an electrical heating appliance. It needs to be in good condition, used with an appropriate outlet and electrical setup, and operated according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Heat lamps require more attention to setup because the bulb or heat emitter can become extremely hot. The fixture needs to be rated for whatever bulb or emitter you're using and secured independently so it cannot fall into the brooder. Don't rely on the clamp alone. Keep the lamp, cord, and hot surfaces safely away from bedding, brooder walls, covers, and anything else that could melt, overheat, or catch fire.
It's also worth remembering that not every bulb or heat emitter produces the same amount of heat. A lower-wattage emitter and a high-wattage traditional bulb are different pieces of equipment, so the actual product you're using matters more than simply calling everything a “heat lamp.”
If minimizing fire risk is your biggest priority, a heat plate has some clear advantages. If a heat lamp works better for your brooding setup, it can still be a useful option, but safe installation isn't something you get to half-ass.
Which One Costs Less to Run?
Heat plates generally win this one.
Most heat plates use substantially less electricity than traditional brooder heat lamps, but I'm deliberately not giving you some magical percentage because wattage varies by model. Compare the actual wattage of the plate and lamp you're considering and remember that chick brooding means running that heat source for an extended period.
A heat plate may cost more upfront, depending on what you're comparing, but the lower electrical use can matter if you brood chicks frequently. On the other hand, if you already own safe heat-lamp equipment and only raise a small batch of chicks occasionally, upfront cost may matter more to you than long-term energy savings.
There isn't one answer that applies to everybody.
Annoying, isn't it?
Which One Is Better for a Large Group of Chicks?
This is where heat lamps can make a lot of sense for me.
With a heat plate, every chick that needs warmth has to be able to access the heated area. The more chicks you're brooding, the more plate space you need. You can use a larger plate or multiple plates, but at some point the logistics start influencing which setup makes more sense.
A properly configured heat lamp can provide a broader heated area for a larger group while allowing chicks to move in and out of that zone.
That doesn't mean you can't brood a large group with heat plates. You absolutely can. It just means you need enough heated space for the number and size of chicks you're raising, and sometimes a lamp is simply the tool I prefer for the job.
Which One Is Better in a Cold Brooding Area?
It depends on how cold we're talking, what equipment you're using, how the brooder is constructed, and what the manufacturer says the heat source can handle.
This is another place where I don't think heat plates should automatically be declared the winner. If I'm brooding somewhere with low ambient temperatures, I need to know that my heat source can provide enough warmth for the chicks in those actual conditions.
Some heat plates have minimum ambient-temperature recommendations. Read them. Don't assume that because a product is marketed for chicks, it'll work equally well in your living room and an unheated barn when it's freezing outside.
Heat lamps can provide more radiant heat in some cold-weather setups, which is one reason I may choose one. But again, more heat comes with more responsibility for safe installation and making sure chicks have room to move away from it.
Do Chicks Sleep Better With a Heat Plate?
One advantage of a heat plate is that it provides warmth without producing light, so when the room gets dark, the brooder gets dark too. Chicks can settle underneath the plate and have a normal period of darkness while still staying warm.
With a heat lamp, it depends on what you're using to produce the heat. A clear heat bulb puts out bright visible light along with the heat, which means that light is shining into the brooder day and night if the lamp is your chicks' only heat source. That can interfere with having a normal light and dark cycle because, as far as the chicks are concerned, somebody forgot to turn off the damn sun.
A red heat bulb still produces visible light, so the brooder isn't truly dark at night. The difference is that red light is less disruptive than bright white light and is commonly used when chicks need continuous heat from a light-producing bulb. Red lighting can also reduce feather pecking and cannibalism compared with bright white lighting, which is another reason it's traditionally been used in brooders.
A heat-emitter bulb gives you another option because it produces heat without visible light. That means you can use an overhead heat source while still allowing the brooder to become dark at night. Just remember that no visible light doesn't mean no heat. Some emitters get extremely hot, so they need the same careful installation, proper fixture, and safe clearance you'd use with any high-temperature brooder heat source.
So if maintaining a natural day and night cycle matters to you, a heat plate or no-light heat emitter makes that pretty simple. If you're using a traditional heat bulb, I'd choose red over clear for continuous brooder heat. A clear bulb can certainly keep chicks warm, but I don't see a good reason to keep the brooder brightly lit 24 hours a day when there are other options.
So Which One Do I Use?
Both.
That's probably not the dramatic answer people expect from an article comparing heat plates and heat lamps, but it's the answer..
I like heat plates for smaller groups and setups where the ambient temperature is appropriate for the plate I'm using. I like their lower electrical use, the localized warmth, the darkness they provide for resting chicks, and the fact that I don't have a screaming-hot bulb hanging over the brooder.
I use heat lamps when the situation makes a broader or stronger heat source more practical, including some larger groups and colder brooding environments. When I use one, I'm considerably more particular about how it's installed because I'm not willing to pretend the fire risk doesn't exist.
The heat source is a tool. I choose the tool based on the brooder I'm using, the number and age of the chicks, the temperature of the surrounding environment, and what those chicks are telling me.
You Don't Have to Pick a Team
Chicken keeping has enough weird little hills people are willing to die on. Your chick heat source doesn't need to become another one.
Heat plates have some real advantages. Heat lamps have some real advantages. They also both have limitations, and neither one can compensate for a brooder that's too small, poorly ventilated, unsafe, filthy, or set up without giving chicks a way to move away from the heat.
Whatever you choose, set it up before the chicks arrive. Make sure it works. Read the manufacturer's instructions. Watch how your chicks behave once they're in the brooder and adjust things when they tell you they're uncomfortable.
If a heat plate works best for your setup, use a heat plate.
If a properly installed heat lamp works best for your setup, use a heat lamp.
If you've been keeping chickens long enough to have sworn you'd never use one of them and then changed your mind later, welcome to the club.
Apparently chickens don't give a shit about our strongly held opinions.
🐔
Warm chicks choose their spot
Lamp or plate can do the job
Watch the chicks, not teams
