BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[aart]

What are most people using for flooring material? Are those cedar or pine shavings? I was going to use hay.

Most people use pine....cedar is too aromatic, can cause respiratory problems.

 

[DrFarmersDrWife]

I'm using aspen. Cedar is not good for most animals and I've read newspaper is really bad as it's too slippery when wet.

 

[aart]

Newspaper can be slippery when dry....puppy pads or paper towels over shavings for the first few days is good-with food spread on it, until they find the feeder.

 

[dolfi]

I have mine in fish tank in my garage. But it seems to be hard to clean. I need something to keep them safe and outdoor. Any suggestions. I live in Florida. But the temperature at night is still 60's.

 

[mroger82]

Thought I'd post a short video I took today of my chicks in my homemade brooder. The brooder measures 28" wide x 82" long. It is 14 1/2" deep from floor to top of walls and has a removable top that adds another 10 1/2" at it's peak. The chicks have been in there since they were 2 days old. They are now just over 4 weeks old. 14 chicks in all (lost one during shipping)(mypetchicken.com). 4 black australorps, 5 buff orpies, and 5 barred rocks, all female....I hope. They are in my basement in the "John Deere" room. The bedding is sand. Any comments or quesitons appreciated. Thanks for looking. Here's the link.

 

[peanut67]

Very Nice brooder looks like the chicks love it. I am outside of Warsaw ,mo so not to far from you.

 

[flossyandprissy]

First timer's brooder:

Added on a room after a week:

Added a third room a week after that, and traded red bulb for smaller wattage white bulb (red one was too hot now that they are older):

No more additions planned. Working on coop and run.

 

[WYNot]

Last year's makeshift brooder as originally set up.

After getting tired of cleaning out the water many, many times a day because they were kicking bedding into it, I rigged it so it could be hung.

When they got older, they thought it was fun to perch on top of the feeder. So... Feeder 2.0

Feeder 3.0. Decided to hang it as well. Also, they were eating the food so fast, I wanted a feeder I could actually fill all the way. After filling the ball jar full of food, screwing on the feeder base, and turning it over it was actually only about 2/3 of the way full after the base filled with food. The modified plastic jar allowed me to have a full feeder base and a full reservoir.

Bonus pics...

The stare down...

The disdain...

The instant nap...

This spring I'll be putting the brooder in the garage instead of the house. They just kick up too much dust. I also like the posts about using an old dresser turned on its back. I've got one of the kids' old dressers out there just waiting to have legs and a screen cover added.

 

[pawtraitart]

I use plastic brooder totes for the first two weeks. (I keep quail inside for 3 weeks) They then go into a wooden box brooder out in the garage. The feeders/drinkers are attached to the side of the brooder so they can't tip anything over or fill them with shavings. If they decide to get on top of the lids then I tape a strip of cardboard at a slant over the lids so they can't do it.

 

[dolfi]

I use plastic brooder totes for the first two weeks. (I keep quail inside for 3 weeks) They then go into a wooden box brooder out in the garage. The feeders/drinkers are attached to the side of the brooder so they can't tip anything over or fill them with shavings. If they decide to get on top of the lids then I tape a strip of cardboard at a slant over the lids so they can't do it.

very nice