Heat lamps and brooders are common ways to keep your chicks nice and warm. You may wonder which is better. Hopefully this helps you decide . . .
Heat Lamps: You’ll find heat lamps in just about any farm store. It’s certainly what I started out with when I got my very first chicks. I love that the chicks can move around more freely while, at the same time, always staying warm. It’s fun to watch them bask underneath it as if it’s the sun.
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However, the heat lamp does have its downsides. At 250 watts, it’s a power hog and a bit of a fire hazard if not properly hung. And as for its effect on the chicks, it keeps them up at night, whereas they would normally be asleep. It can also prolong how long it takes for chicks to get their feathers in. These aren’t major issues by any means. But there are greater benefits in doing it another way. Lastly, I feel like their area stinks a bit more with a heat lamp vs a brooder. Baking their poop under the heat. I’d love to know if anybody else notices this.
Brooder: My first time using a brooder, I noticed the benefits really quick. We had enough solar power to run it through the night, and the chicks went to sleep instead of making noise on and off all night. I didn’t have to worry about anything catching on fire. It provides chicks that artificial sensation of keeping warm underneath their mom. And as they have to come out from under it to eat and drink, it forces them to come out where it’s cooler and therefore gets them growing their feathers a bit quicker. With a heat lamp it’s generally recommended to have it on for chicks for 2 months. I had chicks off the brooder at 3 weeks old where they start to sleep elsewhere on their own.
However, the brooder has its downsides too. Chicks have to periodically huddle underneath it to stay warm instead of continuing to move around like with the heat lamp. Only so many chicks can fit underneath a brooder, whereas there is less concern on how many you have when you use a heat lamp. Too many chicks under one brooder can cause them to smother each other and can kill a chick or two (depending on how much you overload it). Lastly, you need to make sure to adjust the brooder height as the chicks grow and mature.
So here’s the breakdown . . .
Heat Lamp Pros
-Allows for more movement
-Keeps chicks warm at all times
-Chicks love to bask underneath it like the sun
Heat Lamp Cons
-Uses more power
-Keeps chicks awake at night
-Fire hazard
-Can prolong feather growth
-Makes things stink more
Brooder Pros
-Low wattage
-Not a fire hazard
-More natural like resting under a mother hen
-Chicks get sleep
-Can encourage faster feather growth
-Less stinky
Brooder Cons
-More limited on how many chicks you can have
-Needs to be adjusted as chicks grow
-Chicks are only warm if they are underneath it
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Conclusion
It all depends on your set up and how many chicks you’re raising. Personally, I love the combination of the two. The heat lamp allows chicks to run around during the day without getting the chills if it’s a bit cold in the coop. And the brooder allows them to cuddle up and sleep at night. This also means that if one goes out, I have a backup.
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