BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!




Here is my set up in a large plastic tub. I have a Brines heater that I adjust as the chicks get older. For feeders, I rigged up 2-inch PVC with a 90 degree elbow and short section of pipe to which I have attached an end cap that I cut at a 90-degree angle to form a little feeding trough. I cut holes in the tub to insert the feeders so I can mount them to the outside with zip ties and save room in the brooder. For water, I have a 4-nipple waterer on a short section of PVC with a hose connection. The hose is connected to an elevated 5-gallon bucket to which I have attached a garden hose fitting. I elevate the bucket enough that there is enough water pressure to supply the nipple waterers. Last year I used a rubber mesh mat cut to fit the bottom of the brooder and put pine shavings on top. This year, I did not even bother and just put the pine shavings in with no problems. I've tried various solutions to make the cleanup of poop on top of the heater easier (because the chicks love to get up there and poop), but I think contact paper is the best bet - just peel it off and throw it away when messy, then replace with a new piece. It sure beats scraping and scrubbing every few days. Lastly, I do have a simple screened top that can go over this because it is amazing how quickly the chicks figure out how to get out. Of course, the first thing they when they get out is to poop on the floor, so the top goes on after about a week or so.
OMG! Contact paper! Thank you - That is so GENIUS!!! I loathe the top of the heater, so I’m definitely doing that next time.

Love the whole setup! I haven’t conquered the watering via PVC/nipples but I really want to. This is just such an awesome setup.
 
Hello everyone!
I had several ideas about what to do for a brooder, then read someone's post about how they might use a dog crate ..... *ding!*..... we had a huge one in our garage I was about to list on craigslist! (FYI, it is 27" x 40" and we have 6 chicks) This was perfect for us, to protect the babies from our house dog and the two kids. I thought it might be useful for others to see how some of us have made a brooder and get some ideas, so I will start it out!


Here it is from the outside..... it is in our living room with the light mounted on the outside. As they have needed less heat I have slowly turned it to the left, lowering the temp each week.
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Here is the inside. Thermometer is on the left (not in photo though!). Food and water are on a 4x4 post scrap to get it up a bit so they dont poop in it, or get shavings in it. We still wash out the water every day. It is also in the back so it stays cooler. I screwed in screws to hang the oak branch in there and they love it. The chick flapping is one of the two who are competing for the Queen of the Pecking Order. They fight for who is on the roost, and she is clearly telling the other one to get off! We use the deep litter method, and so need the bit of cardboard in the front to prevent shavings from coming out the front! We also stir it up everyday.
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And here is our huge Lab protecting the babies.........actually, he is scared of them and backs away when we get them close to him, but he wants to look at them!
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Can't wait to see everyone else's ideas!
This is mine, I’m a new chick mama and I don’t know if mine is too small. We have 5 chicks and they really seem bored so I feel bad. We should be setting up the coop next week and then they can have a bigger space in the run for the day time? Is that safe at 3 weeks old? Idk what else to do I don’t have room for a bigger brooder in my house. We take them out to play inside the bathroom multiple times a day lol.
 

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This is mine, I’m a new chick mama and I don’t know if mine is too small. We have 5 chicks and they really seem bored so I feel bad. We should be setting up the coop next week and then they can have a bigger space in the run for the day time? Is that safe at 3 weeks old? Idk what else to do I don’t have room for a bigger brooder in my house. We take them out to play inside the bathroom multiple times a day lol.
It might get too hot for them in that unless you’re constantly monitoring temp. there’s no room for them to get away from the heat lamp to a “cool side”
A lot of people that use the plastic totes have a side cut out to give better air flow. I can’t tell if you do or not.
 
I feel like I’m always monitoring the temp because I’m so freaked out they will overheat or be too cold. I think we are going to switch them to our dogs old kennel today if they aren’t small enough to get out. And we switched the bulb from a 250 watt to 125 last night and that seems to be helping a loy
 
Hello everyone!
I had several ideas about what to do for a brooder, then read someone's post about how they might use a dog crate ..... *ding!*..... we had a huge one in our garage I was about to list on craigslist! (FYI, it is 27" x 40" and we have 6 chicks) This was perfect for us, to protect the babies from our house dog and the two kids. I thought it might be useful for others to see how some of us have made a brooder and get some ideas, so I will start it out!


Here it is from the outside..... it is in our living room with the light mounted on the outside. As they have needed less heat I have slowly turned it to the left, lowering the temp each week.
IMGP0931.jpg


Here is the inside. Thermometer is on the left (not in photo though!). Food and water are on a 4x4 post scrap to get it up a bit so they dont poop in it, or get shavings in it. We still wash out the water every day. It is also in the back so it stays cooler. I screwed in screws to hang the oak branch in there and they love it. The chick flapping is one of the two who are competing for the Queen of the Pecking Order. They fight for who is on the roost, and she is clearly telling the other one to get off! We use the deep litter method, and so need the bit of cardboard in the front to prevent shavings from coming out the front! We also stir it up everyday.
IMGP0933.jpg



IMGP0935.jpg


And here is our huge Lab protecting the babies.........actually, he is scared of them and backs away when we get them close to him, but he wants to look at them!
IMGP0936.jpg



Can't wait to see everyone else's ideas!
Thank you for the wonderful idea. Your lab is gorgeous it looks a lot like one I had for 15 years. I miss her so much. Thanks
 
I noticed there hasn't been any activity on this thread in a while, BUT, I am a new chick mom. Here is my set up for my 5 girls. I included a picture of the thermometer that is pretty much centered with the heat lamp. I did finagle a bit of a dirt trap to catch some of the shavings and poop so that it doesnt get into the water and food as much. And it has helped a lot, BUT they keep knocking over their grit and it has made a huge mess at the bottom. So i guess it works haha, it just looks gross. I change that out pretty frequently. They are just about 2 weeks old (13 days old). I have 3 Rhode Island Reds and 2 ISA Browns. I got them from TSC when they were about a week old. Please let me know what you all think and different ways I can improve it!
 

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