Heating Plates for Chick Brooders
Product Details
An alternative to a heat lamp. Less of a fire risk. A heating plate simulates a hen keeping chicks warm and cozy beneath her feathers.
Heating Plate & Cover Dimensions (both sold separately):
- Extra Small: 10" x 10"
- Small: 12" x 12"
- Medium: 16" x 16"
- Large: 16" x 24"
Instructions/Diagrams:
Instruction Manual 
Common Uses
Specs
| Extra Small | Small | Medium | Large | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plate Item # | 540207 | 540203 | 540241 | 540204 |
| Cover Item # | 5402078 | 540205 | 540242 | 540206 |
| Capacity | Up to 15 chicks | Up to 20 chicks | Up to 30 chicks | Up to 50 chicks |
| Plate & Cover | 10" x 10" | 12" x 12" | 16" x 16" | 16" x 24" |
| Cover Height | 3.5" | 5" | 7" | 7" | Watts | 15 watts/hr | 22 watts/hr | 42 watts/hr | 66 watts/hr |
| Legs | 9.5"L | 9.5"L | 9.5"L | 9.5"L |
Height of all sizes adjusts from 1.5" to 6" by adjusting the yellow legs. ABS plastic. Cord: 70"L
Use a Heating Plate Temperature Controller which allows control of Premier's Heating Plates output between 20% - 100% of full output.
Benefits
Heating plate advantages over a heat lamp:
- Uses much less electricity. Only 15 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 (only 125°).
- Field observation: Birds raised under plates appear more calm than those raised under lamps.
The rugged plate cover (optional and sold above) prevents older chicks from perching on top and fouling the unit with droppings. However, the plate can be hand-washed (do not submerge in water) to remove dust and debris.
How to Use
Worried that the plate feels hot to the touch? It isn't. If chicks get too warm, they can and do move out from under it for a time. Don't overcrowd—chicks need to have space to move around as they like.
When the heating plate is plugged directly into the outlet, the red light comes on and stays on.
When it is plugged into the Heating Plate Temperature Controller, it will blink based on the min/max adjustment. Slow blink toward minimum and quicker toward max. If you turn it all the way up, it will come on full time.
Precautions
Warranty
-
Heating Plates and Covers
Heating Plate Temperature Control
Item #540229 -Manually control the heat output of Premier's heating plates for poultry
$14.00 -
Waterers and Accessories
Chick Nipple Drinker with Wire Hanger, 1 quart capacity
Item #540224 -1 qt. capacity nipple drinker sits or hangs above the litter so water is always clean. For use in poultry brooders and cages. Includes wire hanger.
$6.00 -
Brooder Kits and Panels
Disposable Cardboard Panel, each
Item #530150 -Build a safe, secure chick brooder using modular brooder panels. Quick to assemble with disposable and reusable options.
$2.10 -
Brooder Kits and Panels
Reusable Plastic Panel, each
Item #530155 -Build a safe, secure chick brooder using modular brooder panels. Quick to assemble with disposable and reusable options.
$5.70
-
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
You must be logged in to leave a review. Please sign in.
Kate F from British Columbia, Canada
This product never fails me! It is a wonderful size for a small hatch of chicks. They love to snuggle under it. It is easy to clean if you get the plastic top, as the chicks can't stand and poop on it.
Anne T from Montana
Outstanding product!
Charles & Linda I from North Carolina
The easiest to use and best heating plate I have found for my baby chicks. The ease of changing height is a plus.
Celeste W from Connecticut
Great product. Works better than the more expensive brand and is easier to clean too.
Glenn M from Ontario, Canada
So first the good: these plates work well at limiting electrical use in the brooder. It is also much easier to regulate the temperature of the brooder because the chicks can go under the plate when they need to and go out for food and water when they want. Fluctuating temperatures outside don’t affect them as much.
The bad: like many electrical devices these days, they are not long-lasting units. We purchased four of the biggest plates and used them on 200 chicks a year, for six seasons. This fall, three out of the four units blew capacitors and other electrical circuits within a month of each other. Planned obsolescence? You tell me.
Given that these units are pretty expensive, it is an open question whether our power savings we experienced for a couple of months each year for six years were enough to justify the hefty purchase price.
