If you’ve been brooding chicks already you are probably already familiar with the traditional heat lamps with red bulb that are often used to keep the chicks warm. They are easily acquired at any feed store during chick season and simple to use. However, they come with several drawbacks.
- They are dangerous. Heat lamps emit a lot of heat and are attached by a simple clamp that can easily be jostled when you aren’t there to notice.
- Heat lamps often rely on light bulbs. Baby chicks need to sleep and light sources can be distracting to their sleep cycle.
- Heat lamps are not temperature controlled, except by you raising or lowering the bulb. If you are away from home and your home AC or heat fails, you don’t always know about it until it is too late to adjust the light in the brooder box.