My husband built me a new brooder and I love it. I do staggered hatches all spring. I keep chicks in my spare bedroom for first couple of weeks then move out to coop brooder, I have a steady rotation of chicks from March to June. I have used dog kennel, 4ft x 4ft octagon puppy play pen, and worse yet a 6ft x 3ft small animal tent they serve their purpose but I am sick of climbing around on the floor or into the brooder to clean it. I thought about the stacking brooders but the cost and the fact I’m short not sure they would be practical. I wanted something raised and open on top and front for easy cleaning and interacting with them. My 10yo daughter loves interacting with the chicks and hand taming them but lately she hasn’t wanted to she says it’s too hard to get them.
This is what he came up with: we had a small table he made years ago he made when we had guinea pigs out of left over counter top that is 5ft x 32”. I may have to add rubber shelf liner if it’s too slippery. He added the brooder frame around the table, originally it was one piece but we unscrewed the top from the table to get it up stairs. It fit so snugly over the table I asked him to leave it in screwed so after the last of the chicks go out to the coop I can take it off sanitize not worry about the corners. I have another smaller sweeter heater coming this week, that I ordered before we decided to make this but it will fit perfectly. I’m using this large one for now from out of my coop brooder. I have used mama heating pad in the past but I have come to prefer the sweeter heaters as I can see underneath when they are hung up, can have more chicks under them and easy to keep clean, just a wipe with a damp cloth. The best thing is we had everything here we needed so we didn’t have to buy anything.
This is what he came up with: we had a small table he made years ago he made when we had guinea pigs out of left over counter top that is 5ft x 32”. I may have to add rubber shelf liner if it’s too slippery. He added the brooder frame around the table, originally it was one piece but we unscrewed the top from the table to get it up stairs. It fit so snugly over the table I asked him to leave it in screwed so after the last of the chicks go out to the coop I can take it off sanitize not worry about the corners. I have another smaller sweeter heater coming this week, that I ordered before we decided to make this but it will fit perfectly. I’m using this large one for now from out of my coop brooder. I have used mama heating pad in the past but I have come to prefer the sweeter heaters as I can see underneath when they are hung up, can have more chicks under them and easy to keep clean, just a wipe with a damp cloth. The best thing is we had everything here we needed so we didn’t have to buy anything.
