Brooding chicks in the winter...

Date sort Score sort
bufforp89

bufforp89

Songster
10 Years
Jul 26, 2009
1,113
5
161
Chenango Forks NY
Where does everyone brood their chicks in the cold winter months? Im not talking a few, more like 60+....I have chicks hatching in a few weeks and luckily most of them are spoken for so I will only need to keep them five days tops before everyone is picked up....Could they be kept outside safely in the coop durring the winter?

My coop is large so I have the room to build something but am worried about the temps maybe being to low? If my brooder area is totally draft free will they stay warm enough with a heat lamp? Water dosnt freeze in my coop so I guess it stays aove freezing and I have had 2 broodys this winter that did fine....I have an old kiddy pool....would that maybe work?
 
Kiddie pools make great brooders. Just make sure you can keep the temp with the lamp 85-90 degrees stable through the day and night first. ETA: You can also tape cardboard to the pool sides to keep from having escapee's.
 
Last edited:
It's so much easier in March/April.
big_smile.png
big_smile.png
I don't understand why folks brood in winter, but anyhow, ....

If your brooder box has strong enough sides, and it should, you simply lay pieces of drywall scrap or plywood scrap across the top to build a roof. If you "roof" 90% of the top, the box will stay very warm as the roof planks keep much more heat in the box. Easy. Folks have brooded in barns, in cold weather successfully for decades.

The principle is same, regardless of number of chicks. Each 250 watt bulb is only good for no more than 20 chicks, imho. Thus, you'll have to rig for 3 lights. The circle of warmth is only so big a diameter. You'll think it through and be just fine.

As always, your first concern must be safety and fire prevention. Be safe. Have fun.
 
A basement is a wonderful thing!!!
I've got a 2'x8' brooder built and a 4x8 brooder split into two sections

And that way the basement gets dusty, and not the house
thumbsup.gif
 
Attached garage is even better. 60 chicks are going to produce the equivalent dust of daily sawing a half dozen sheets of sheetrock. I will leave you to imagine, or discover, the smell of 60 little poopers giving it their all!
smile.png


Although you did say "most" will be exiting quickly, you didn't say how many will be permanent residents.
smile.png
 
Last edited:
I decided after thinking about it I am going to make a brooder box out of some plywood scraps that I have and rig a few lights.

I dont have a basement to brood in, must be nice and if I did Im sure it would already be full of chicks.

I have had many more then 60 chicks at a time so I know what to expect when it comes to dust and poop but thanks for the info! I dont plan on having them when they are 4 weeks old about 50 or so are leaving within five days and whatever I choose to keep will just come in the house with the ones that I already have in the house.
 
Fred's Hens said:
My 5x8, sided utility trailer makes a dandy brooding box.  I feel comfortable brooding out 25 chicks in a "box" this size.  This is just to give you an idea of how many square feet your going to need for those 60 chicks, especially when they are 4 weeks old.
69833_dscf1991.jpg
Click to expand...


Hi I'm sorry if this is old, but i am making a brooder box the same size, and also using it in my barn, wondering how it worked out for you and how cold it was while you used it.
 
Old post, but I thought I'd pipe in. I have 1-month old chicks in brooders. Attached photo. One unit is a double unit (one on right). Unfortunately, chicks are growing, and I'm not selling them as quickly as I'd hoped. Probably because folks don't want to buy baby chicks and keep them in a brooder in the winter. Nevertheless, would like to relocate them out of the sunroom of our house. Garage stays open half the time (hubby accesses house through it). Not really other options. The lady I got these chicks from lost several because she was keeping the chicks in a basement/crawl space area with heat lamps. Lamps exploded, chicks got cold, and died overnight. Ideas for how to expand all of this, or how to move the chicks somewhere else? ? ? Guess I won't do this again.
 

Similar threads

NewChickenMom0711
Coop for brooding house
Replies
7
Views
141
rosemarythyme
rosemarythyme
E
Chick/Chicken Newbies
Replies
1
Views
310
rosemarythyme
rosemarythyme
ForFlocksSake
When is it safe for them to be outside in North Florida winter conditions?
Replies
8
Views
2K
PoppasGrill
PoppasGrill
K
Looking for feedback on brooding chicks
Replies
3
Views
210
rosemarythyme
rosemarythyme
CrazyForMyPeeps802
Chick brooder ideas?
2 3
Replies
23
Views
1K
CrazyForMyPeeps802
CrazyForMyPeeps802

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom