Using rubbermaid tubs as brooders?

[SilkieLover01]

Question everybody--what do you find best to use as brooders that's a low risk of catching fire? I use to use metal tubs (which I'm not a huge fan of) and rubbermaid tubs back in the day. I haven't had chicks in years though. After surviving an arson last year, I'm very hyperaware of anything that "could" catch on fire. How flammable are the rubbermaid tubs? Has anyone had one catch on fire? I just want to minimize the risks as much as possible!

 

[azygous]

Many of us are foregoing brooders all together and brooding in a safe pen right in our coop or run. We are also foregoing the heat lamp, which is very dangerous, and using a heating pad system instead.

It's as close to natural as you can get without a broody hen, and heating pads have no where near the fire danger that heat lamps have.

See my article on tossing out your brooder and brooding outdoors linked under "Articles by azygous". Lots of photos and reasons why this works out far better for chicks and their humans.

 

[TLWR]

I use a great dane sized kennel (our dane lets us borrow it lol) and this year I bought a heating pad, but it was huge for 2 birds. TSC had heat mats on sale for $15 and we used that instead.