top of page
Chicken brooder heat plates and heat lamps page - Poultry Australia

Brooder heat plates and heat lamps

Anchor 1

Why do I need a brooder heat plate or heat lamp to raise chicks?

You’ll need a brooder heat plate or heat lamp if you’re hatching chicks using an egg incubator or purchasing day-old chicks. 

 

The chicks will rely on the heat plate or heat lamp to stay warm until they’re fully feathered and ready to be moved to their coop at around six weeks old.

Should I purchase a heat lamp or a heat plate?

Advantages of brooder heat lamps:

  • Brooder heat lamps have been the most popular way to raise chicks for over a century. 

  • Brooder heat lamps are more affordable to purchase compared to heat plates. 

  • Brooder lamps heat a larger area. This means they can keep more chicks warm compared to a single heat plate. 

  • Brooder heat lamps can be easier to adjust as the chicks grow compared to brooder heat plate models that don’t have a temperature adjustment knob.

Advantages of brooder heat plates:

  • While brooder heat plates are more expensive to purchase, they consume less electricity than brooder heat lamps. This means over time, electricity savings can make a brooder heat plate the more economical choice. 

  • A heat plate with a built-in temperature adjustment knob and well-designed legs can be easier to adjust as the chicks grow compared to a brooder heat lamp. 

  • The chicks can rest directly against the underside of a heat plate. This means a brooder heat plate better resembles the warmth that chicks would receive if under a mother hen.

bottom of page