Heating Plates for Chick Brooders
An alternative to a heat lamp. Less of a fire risk. A heating plate, or hover heater, simulates a hen keeping chicks warm and cozy beneath her feathers.
Heating Plate & Cover Dimensions:
- Extra Small: 10" x 10"
- Small: 12" x 12"
- Large: 16" x 24"
Instructions/Diagrams:
Instructions 
Specs
- Extra Small:
- Keeps up to 15 chicks warm
- 15 watts/hr
- Plate & Cover: 10" x 10"
- Small:
- Keeps up to 20 chicks warm
- 22 watts/hr
- Plate & Cover: 12" x 12"
- Large:
- Keeps up to 50 chicks warm
- 66 watts/hr
- Plate & Cover: 16" x 24"
- Height adjusts from 1.5" to 6" by adjusting the yellow legs
- ABS plastic
- Cord length: 70"
- 1 year warranty
Benefits
Heating plate advantages over a heat lamp:
- Uses much less electricity. Only 22 watts (66 for the larger plate) vs 175 or 250 watts for a heat lamp.
- Less risk of fire because of the much lower surface temperature (125°).
- A hen keeps chicks warm beneath a heat source. So does a heat plate.
The rugged plate cover (optional) prevents older chicks from perching on top and fouling the unit with droppings. However, the plate can be hand-washed to remove dust and debris.
How to Use
Height adjustment is important. As the chicks grow, use the adjustable legs to increase the height of the plate above the bedding and chicks.
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Brooder Panels
Disposable Brooder Panel, each
Item #530150 -Build a safe, secure chick brooder using modular brooder panels. Quick to assemble with disposable and reusable options.
$1.45 -
Brooder Panels
Reusable Brooder Panel, each
Item #530155 -Build a safe, secure chick brooder using modular brooder panels. Quick to assemble with disposable and reusable options.
$3.50 -
Waterers and Accessories
Chick Nipple Drinker
Item #540224 -To keep water clean and fresh. Nipple drinker sits or hangs above the litter so water is always clean.
$5.60
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Heating Plates and Covers
Replacement Leg for Heating Plates, each
Item #5402032 -A safer alternative to a heat lamp. A heating plate, or hover heater, simulates a hen keeping chicks warm and cozy beneath her feathers.
$3.80
Write a Review
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Charlotte L from Oklahoma
These heat plates and covers are the best thing out there for keeping chicks warm. Low electricity use, safe, and the covers make them 100% easy to use with no clean up issues. Love them!
Oh, and very fast shipping!
Becky O from Iowa
What a wonderful product! I have never had such calm and content chicks before. The look so serene when I check them throughout the day, it makes me smile. I love that I don't have to worry about them on these cool Spring nights or worry about a bulb burning out. I have had the chicks for a week now and they are already starting to feather out, and so far no "pasty butt", which has always been a problem for me. This has made the job of caring for chicks much easier.
Sherri from California
This is probably the best purchase I've made this year. I no longer worry about if the brooder light adjustments have failed and the light is pointing the wrong way, leaving the chicks with too much or not enough heat. I purchased the small size to give it a try, but plan on purchasing more for the varied stages of chicks. I had a couple of new arrivals and since I had raised the legs of the plate for my older chicks I found that a temporary fix was to use a small box with sides that did not touch the plate for the tiny ones, that seemed to hold more heat for them and a few of the larger chicks decided to crawl into the box with them. Love this item and the small size is much more versatile than the large one, so I am very happy.
Nadja v from Wisconsin
I always used heat lamps and liked them but was leary of using them in the house. You always worry about something bad happening and the babies get chilled if the lamp would quit working or worse, starting a house fire. So I thought I'd try the 12x12 heating plate. To my surprise it works great. I have call ducklings and bantam chicks I raise. They took to it well. But you have to make sure that you keep raising the legs every week. Appearently I didn't raise them enough because my first batch of ducklings, a few had a small bald spot on top of their head which filled in since. I have since purchased two more heating plates and like them very much.
Chris W from Ohio
I am a first-time chicken owner (seven beautiful hens). We commute almost two hours daily to and from work, so I was anxious about using a light bulb in the brooder and the potential for fire hazards. I did a lot of research and decided to go with a heating plate and ultimately decided on this one (12" x 12"), mostly because of the cost (much less than on Amazon and uses less wattage to run vs. a heat lamp) and the positive reviews, and also because the heating plate is a more natural environment for the chicks, mimicking a mama hen where the chicks can crawl under it to get warm. I am very glad I chose this heating plate! My girls took to it right away! I like the fact that when the sun goes down, they would head for the plate to go to sleep, whereas a heat lamp is on 24/7. The chicks also like to lounge on top of the plate as well as use it for a launching pad for learning to fly. I highly recommend using some sort of cover on the top of the plate because getting the excrement off of it is quite a task. I purchased the plastic top that goes with the heating plate but ultimately I ended up not using it; instead I cut a few pieces of rubber shelf liner to fit on top since the girls like to congregate there and I didn't want to take that space away from them. By day four, they really weren't sleeping under it anymore but would still run under the plate to warm up. I was a little concerned that I was unable to adjust the temperature of the plate, but raising the height of the plate as the chicks grew worked just fine. So in a nutshell, my girls are happy with the heating plate and so am I! One more word, the description says the 12" x 12" plate can fit up to 20 chicks. That is only applicable to the first few days after hatching, they grow fast and all 7 of my girls (4.5 weeks old) could not all fit under it if they needed to, but that is a nonissue for me. I highly recommend this product! :)
