About to build a brooder - is it sized right?

[aatx]

Changed our mind about trying to find hens and ordered chicks instead. We ordered 25 chicks, all bantam sized, and they normally include an extra or two.

The plans I've come up with so far would be a 3' x 6' base that is 2' tall. There would be a place in the middle to put a divider so that the first week or two they would be in a 3' x 3' area.

Some of the recommendations I've read on the hatchery websites suggest (for standard sizes) 1/2 sq ft at first and 3/4 sq ft at 4 weeks per bird. I've also seen 6" squared for standard (4 per sq ft) and 4" squared for bantam (9 per sq ft). Assuming I have 25 chicks live (just using an easy number), that would be 1/3 a sq ft per bird at first (or about 3 per sq ft) and about 3/4 a sq ft each with the entire box.

I want to be able to have the brooder in a spare room for a few weeks and them move it to the garage, so size does matter. I don't think I can get it into the room if it is 4' wide instead of 3'.

Do these numbers sound okay for bantams?

 

[Fred's Hens]

They sound fine. Bigger is almost always better. They need more space than folks often suspect until they've raised out chicks a few times. Feeders, waterers also take up room.

Don't forget some netting, or some kind. Light weight deer netting works well. Put a couple of sticks across the top to support the netting as needed. As spring is coming (fingers crossed) you'll find the garage keeps the smells and dust to outside the house, makes everyone happier.

 

[aatx]

They sound fine. Bigger is almost always better. They need more space than folks often suspect until they've raised out chicks a few times. Feeders, waterers also take up room.

Don't forget some netting, or some kind. Light weight deer netting works well. Put a couple of sticks across the top to support the netting as needed. As spring is coming (fingers crossed) you'll find the garage keeps the smells and dust to outside the house, makes everyone happier.

Thanks. I do have one other option that I guess I need to discuss with DH. We could build it 4' x 6' in the garage and I could use a temporary thing while they are inside. We have a few boxes that are pretty large that I could steal. One held a 50" tv, so it would be fine floor space wise, but is only about a foot tall. That might work for the first few weeks while they are inside. It would certainly need a cover though.

Yes, I was planning on having the top be framed out with landscape cloth or whatever that really small wire is called or chicken wire. We used both on the coop we have started and have leftovers. I was going to do one part stationary that the light could sit on/hang over and then one part hinged or just lift off.

 

[Percheron chick]

My brooder is 3x3 and 25 will fit for about 2 weeks. When it starts to get too busy in there, I put 1/2 in a second brooder (old 4' round stock tank). 12 work in there until they make the journey to the coop. I would make it no larger than 3x4 for the first one (4' for multiples of standard lumber) than have a second one ready to go when they move to the garage. I have found large wooden crates on CL that make dandy brooder and they are usually free. Large boxes are great too. You just throw them in recycle when you are done.