Brooder Pictures! Is this OK???

OK, we first set up a box, but then decided we needed to protect the babies a bit more from the 2 kids and the dog! So we used the dogs old (huge) crate. Scrubbed it out, put down 4" of shavings (hence the cardboard piece in front to keep them in!) and covered it with paper towels (at least for the first day or two until they know what the food is!). Also, the food, water is on blocks to hopefully keep it a bit cleaner, and a thermometer to the left. Red 250w bulb hung on inside of door, and branch for roosting if they want! The lamp hits the front part of the crate, giving them a chance to escape the heat at the back if needed.

Sorry for the crappy cell phone photos, but what do you think???? FYI we are getting 7 bantams.

that setup sure looks like itll work real good.an it will keep the chicks out of harms way.

Looks good to me, but two questions:

Have you got a thermometer to check the temp in there? The heat lamp seems way close and may be too hot for the peeps.

The next question is the heat lamp itself. As these peeps get bigger, they want to jump on everything. (Mine are only a week old and already 'perching' on top of the feeder and waterers!)
My concern is for your peeps, if they jump toward the heat lamp. Not only can they burn themselves, but can start a fire. Suggestion: wrap a 'cage' of chicken wire around the lamp to prevent the chicks coming into contact with the bulb.

Thanks for the thoughts mudhen, I always look for your voice on a topic, you seem to have great answers always!!!

As for the thermometer, it is on the left in the closeup pictures. (I even said that in the post, silly! LOL )

But you have some great points about the lamp being close. I can put it outside, and that is how it originally was, but it is definatly cooler inside, as the angle is not directly down, but angled more back. I had thought that when they are about a week old and ready to have the temp down a bit that I would move it outside, and then change to a red 100w bulb to decrease the heat even more the following week. Fortunantly, it is a huge dog crate (3' x 2' for 7 banties) and gives them plenty of room to get away from the heat if need be. But I appreciate your warning on the light being inside. Do you feel that I should start it outside from the start????? It is definatly cooler than if it is inside.

It is ok for starters but your going to have to find a place that is not so enclosed because as they grow and the feathers come in then they will get too hot in that. So this will give ya about 2 maybe 3 weeks to come up with something. Not only easier to use but will hold them longer. Chick grow fast and even I have thought a brooder was big enough only to have to go outside and build a new one.

Its nice but it can be a hassel to keep clean. I finally built a smaller hooded brooder 3'Wx 5'Lx 12"D for my birds to grow in and I can keep up to twenty bantams in there for about 8 weeks. But after that I need to get them outside. Standards I have to shift to other places that can double duty. At 8 weeks they go into an outdoors brooder that is a 4'W x 8'L x 19"D brooder that is 1/2"x1/2" welded wired on the floor. I keep them covered for another 4 weeks and then put them on the ground, in a pen large enough for them to be happy.

Now what I mean by covered is I have a wire top over the brooder that keeps them in and predators out. Outside I also have a wire top but I cover it with plywood if it decides to rain or a tarp. That way they stay dry.

It all depends on how big of an operation you want. I started with 20 birds now I have over a hundred and I am holding steady so I am not sure if that will change.

Right now I am broodering standard cuckoo marans, favorelles, buff orps, and some assorted bantams. I have been getting rid of stock that is just not working for me.

I hope this helps. Its what I did and I really hate useing boxes. The permanent brooder is my best solution for me.

Arklady

What is the temp with the heat lamp on the inside? I'm sure within a few days/or one week you will need to move the heat lamp on the outside of the door.

When you get your peeps, you will find they are easier to raise them than you think. I read books and books and got online. You can get info-overload!

Good luck, have fun!

ARW- I use a huge Rubbermaid container (clear, of course, so I can spy on the chicks ) as a brooder because when I'm done, I can use the container to store things.

Quote:
carri, i have the same set up for my brooder, but i don't understand this... "because when I'm done" comment. for some reason, my brooder never gets empty. is there something wrong with me??

We were going to use a Rubbermaid bin, but we were concerned about having to build a top strong enough to protect them from the kids and the dog (who is 105 pounds!!)..... also, the dog crate is sooooo much bigger than the box.

LOL Blue!!!

That BETTER NOT be me! We live in total suburbia---12 homes on a cul-de-sac and we have (sadly) like the equivelent of 1/8 acre! Getting 7 bantams is about all my yard/neighbors can take!!