Heating plates for chicks / drinker heaters

Heating plate for chicks

Why should I use a heating plate for chicks and young birds? Even amateurs and children know that you need sufficient warmth to encourage chicks to hatch out of their eggs. If the brooding mother bird is replaced for whatever reason, you need to ensure sufficient warmth for poultry, pet birds or wild birds, so that the tiny things don’t die in the eggs and can develop normally. Once hatched, you shouldn’t make the mistake of no longer ensuring that they have the right temperature. On the contrary, it’s at this point that warmth is almost more important, as otherwise the chicks won’t survive their first few days or weeks. After all, normally they would snuggle close to their mother, kept safe under her body and wings. It’s precisely for this reason that we recommend heating plates for chicks. They are suitable for keeping and rearing hens, ducks, geese and the widest variety of feathered friends. We also recommend chick heating plates for injured or sick birds and for small animals such as rodents (hamsters, guinea pigs) and reptiles. Heating plates are indispensable used as incubators with continuous controls.

The functionality of chick heating plates is similar to a heating lamp or brooder lamp but differs in the detail. Heat is radiated from a heating lamp in a more or less wide radius and reaches the floor and walls of the incubator, nest, cage or pen. The heat emitted downwards may not be sufficient in some cases or may be too much in other places, and it’s not always easy to attach the lamp without encountering some difficulty. In contrast to this, there are benefits to using heating plates for chicks as the warmth / heat can be felt simply by being in contact with the plate. The temperature is set so that the chicks or small animals do not burn, even after prolonged, persistent contact with the plate. Similarly to natural rearing in contact with the mother, the heating plate for chicks gives the chicks a cosy feeling of warmth. For this, it’s important not to mount the plate too high on its four legs. The height of a standing chick is a good indicator. Neither should the chick heating plate be set too low, as otherwise the animals seeking protection will not be able to stay underneath the plate. A minimum distance should also be maintained from their bedding. Thanks to the adjustable legs, it’s easy to set the right height and adapt the plate to the growing young animals. You will soon work out which is the best position by watching the chicks’ behaviour. If they are chirping and not staying under or on the heating plate, it’s either too high or too low.

Height-adjustable heating plates for chicks are available in various heights. Up to 35 or 45 chicks can be kept warm with the tried-and-tested standard models made by renowned manufacturers. The latest technology ensures various setting possibilities, reliability and durability. You’ll also be amazed by the low power consumption of high-quality heating plates for chicks. Tests have been carried out on the Comfort heating plate which is used in both professional and private domains. Whether you wish to rear chicks, guinea pigs or reptiles in a way which is appropriate to the species, quality products ensure pleasant temperatures. Ideal rearing conditions significantly increase their chance of survival. Energy-saving chick heating plates are more efficient and less expensive than heating lamps (around 15 to 62 watts rather than 150 to 250 watts). Good heating plates for chick breeding are also easy to clean and hard-wearing. Doubly-protected against short circuits and overheating, they score highly with their safe and easy handling.

Drinker heaters

While drinker heaters or drinking troughs with a separate heating system can be used for cattle, horses, sheep or pigs, undertaking the same exercise with small animals or birds is somewhat more difficult. It’s just as important that poultry have sufficient fluids in cold weather. If their drinking water is too cold, it’s likely that they won’t drink it or it will cause them to feel unwell or become sick. In extreme cases of sub-zero temperatures, the water may even freeze over and become difficult or even impossible for the birds to drink. This is where drinker heaters can help. Heating plates operate based on a considerably simple, yet extremely effective, principle and ensure a high level of satisfaction for the animals. What characterises a high-quality drinker heater? What do I need to consider when buying a drinker heater?

Poultry drinkers are clearly different to troughs which you can find in stables, at the farm or out in the fields. Therefore, standard heating devices cannot be used or can only be used with great difficulty. A special heating plate is required for a heatable poultry drinker. Round, flat drinker heaters with adjustable fasteners for securing the trough can be used in various areas and dwellings. Whether you are rearing exotic birds, poultry or chicks or looking after sick birds, the drinker heaters offer an indispensable aid.

Various criteria make it easier to choose the right drinker heater for poultry drinkers, whereby branded goods distinguish themselves from less suitable models. With a diameter of 20, 25 or 30 cm and a thermal output of 12 watts, the drinker heater keeps water and poultry drinkers free of ice. The power is supplied through a mains transformer with a voltage level that is safe for small animals. A safe, tested 230 V mains adapter and a long connection cable make it easy and quite safe to use. The operating voltage is 24 V. You would be hard pushed to find a safer, high-performance-tested drinker heater to enable you to rear small animals and poultry in complete peace of mind. As the trough support can generally be adjusted from 6 to 27 cm, the drinker heaters for troughs from the online shop fit virtually every trough. A control LED on the adapter indicates that the drinker heater for poultry plates is working. The drinker heater’s power consumption is comparatively low.