1 New Meat Brooder Done, 3 to Go

[anthonyjames]

Well I moved my brooders outside instead of my garages and shed. Needed the space.

So I built one so far and 3 more to go.

It is 8 x 8 x 2 all the way around and 4 at the peak. Sides pull off as you will see from one photo showing the inside.
I used green house glass from menards as doors and I have some shade cloth to put over these as well. All well be on the north side of my house and only get the evening sun.

Still have a different top to put on, get my gravity waterers hooked up and build some feeders around 2 sides.

First birds will go in tomorrow from my garage after I validate the temp over night.

 

[threesprings]

Looks like that should work, no doubt. How many chicks is that for?

 

[anthonyjames]

should easily hold 200-250 for about 3-3.5 weeks

 

[Lexiluke]

I'm impressed. Can't wait to see it filled up.

 

[mstricer]

Those do look nice. But you will be cleaning them a lot of you put 200 chicks in it. Ventilation will also be an issue. I have one that is 8x8x2 also except it has chicken wire all around it and plywood around the.back side with 4 inches to allow for air flow and plywood about 2ft along side, just for drafts. I have 48 3week olds in it and they have room for now, because they free range. Mine has to be cleaned every other day, and it is on the ground.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I like it a lot. I wish I had a few just like them.

A couple of issues that I can see. It will act like a greenhouse, so sides will have to be up during the day and if those are outside, you also need something to keep the local cats out while sides are open.

You might be able to fit 250 chicks inside there, but if you are talking about Cornish Cross, health of the birds is very much tied to how much space they have in the brooder. If they have lots of room to move around, they will move around and will have stronger legs and better health as they get older.

If they are crowded and can't move around easily, they will sit, and will grow into adults who sit, and that is where you get leg issues and heart failures. So just keep an eye on how much space per bird as they grow. 3 week old Cornish Cross are about 3 pounds. They are good size.

Good luck to you.

 

[anthonyjames]

The side that has the board up comes off just as the opposite side. It get full shade all day long with it being on the north side of the house. Plus local cats have been shot by me at my house as they have tried 2 times to go through my electric netting for my personal flock of layers. So there is no issue with them at my house during the day with cats.


Quote: In all of the time I have been raising cornish x I have never gotten 3 lb bird any earlier then 6 weeks. If I was I would be doing a lot better at service the restaurants that I do.

As for space right now I have some similar in size in my garages and they all hold that many chicks just fine for the first 3 weeks. Plus, after week 2 I am already starting to pull feed on the 12's. I normally adding more shavings in my current situation about every other day after days 7 - 10. Longest I have ever had to keep in brooder has been 4 weeks. But that is early in the season and I don't use all brooders at that time so I can move them to give them room.


I will send some images tonight with the first 150 in it.

 

[anthonyjames]

Also, I must say I have only had that many in a brooder one time and worked out fine. I normally keep about 150 per brooder at a crack and I normally have one empty every 4 week. I get 150 birds a week for 3 weeks every month Mid April through July, nothing in August because of heat and then Sept - mid Oct.

 

[WinklerFarms]

What are you feeding, 3 pounds in 6 weeks is very slow for cx.

 

[anthonyjames]

I feed a 20% feed from start to finish custom milled at my Mill. And that is 3 lbs dressed in 6 weeks.
High in there today was 101 and after I took side off to the left in this image temp hovered at about 93 for the day with a strong warm breeze wrapping around the house


Here are the first few in tonight and running to the corners to get away from me.