Changing brooder bedding - temperatures

[Nabiki]

The two-bin method is working great and nobody seems at all bothered by the temperature shifts so far! But transfering the birds is about to become a little more challenging, since we're already seeing some wing feathers coming in and a couple of them made valiant attempts at flight this evening during the transfer. Can't believe that's already happening at five days old!

Any hints on to make transferring the little butts between bins more efficient would be much appreciated.

I keep the lid about 3/4 to 2/3 over the bin. My body blocks the rest as I reach in to scoop them up.

They'll be a bit less flighty is you scoop them up rather than trying to grab them from above. They assume things swooping from above are predators.

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

I keep the lid about 3/4 to 2/3 over the bin. My body blocks the rest as I reach in to scoop them up.

They'll be a bit less flighty is you scoop them up rather than trying to grab them from above. They assume things swooping from above are predators.

Omg, I tried this, game changer! If I scoop mine up from below, palm on the keel and fingers on the belly/through the legs (kind of like how I'm holding the chick in my profile pic), there is significantly less flapping/struggling when moving the birds during brooder deep-clean days.

 

[holbytla]

Those of you who use the plastic bins for brooders, how many chicks do you keep in there? (Mine is 40 gallon.) These 24 chicks are taking up an awful lot of room at 2 weeks old, a lot more than they did when they were freshly hatched.

 

[Nabiki]

Those of you who use the plastic bins for brooders, how many chicks do you keep in there? (Mine is 40 gallon.) These 24 chicks are taking up an awful lot of room at 2 weeks old, a lot more than they did when they were freshly hatched.

About 2 weeks old is when they get moved to something larger. I will have a lot (up to 50) in there when they first hatch, but they have to get moved or separated into more bins as they grow.

 

[holbytla]

About 2 weeks old is when they get moved to something larger. I will have a lot (up to 50) in there when they first hatch, but they have to get moved or separated into more bins as they grow.

Makes sense given how big they are! Would you keep around a dozen of that age in a 40-gallon bin, maybe? I'll have to get a second light

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

Makes sense given how big they are! Would you keep around a dozen of that age in a 40-gallon bin, maybe? I'll have to get a second light

I built a sort of "grow-out box" out of plywood and made a lid from 1x1s and hw cloth when mine were 3ish weeks old. They outgrew the plastic tote pretty quickly! I weaned them off the heat around that time as well, as they were fully-feathered.

 

[Nabiki]

Makes sense given how big they are! Would you keep around a dozen of that age in a 40-gallon bin, maybe? I'll have to get a second light

A dozen will probably be okay until they're about 3 weeks old. By then they need even more room.