Area Per Chick In The Brooder?

[TheYLWFlock]

Yeah I was thinking I’d do something like that. They haven’t tried it again yet, but I’ll be adding that in later this evening once I have some time!

 

[Mraya]

View attachment 1350002 diy cheap brooder-Mine are now between 4-6 weeks old. I believe they were aged wrong when I bought them. They got big, feathered, and flighty within our first week together supposedly 2nd week. Anyway, went to Lowe’s bought 2 large packing boxes. Cut tops off and opened up one side in each box. Put together and ended up with hexagon of sorts but could’ve made a long rectangle. View attachment 1349966 I used the cut off tops to patch in bottom w duct tape. View attachment 1349967 Opened large trash bag and cut to fit for waterproofing. Duct taped. View attachment 1349971 Had a large brown craft paper roll, and traced bottom of box, cut several liners, and taped about 3 inside one on top of the other taping one at a time, leaving an extra out if I needed to trace again. View attachment 1349975
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Moved from this plastic container to giant cardboard mansion! LoL
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I also numbered the sides due to the funky shape. It has been great to peel off a liner and throw in garbage bag. They totally enjoy the extra roominess. We put two old window screens over the top to discourage flying out. Also kept in laundry room with heat lamp attached to cabinet and turned toward box for a few days. They’ve been without heat for a week now. It’s sturdy enough to keep on my back porch or if I need to, now that I am transitioning to the coop.

Do you put a top on the box? Mine are only a week old and have flow out twice already when I open the door.

 

[obicat]

Yeah even my silkie chicks at that age would be able to get up there. Its surprising how high they can get and how soon!

 

[ChickenLittle2+2]

Do you put a top on the box? Mine are only a week old and have flow out twice already when I open the door.

Sorry, just saw this! Yes, we have two old window screens that we lay across the top, or you could not cut off the tops of the boxes and make it taller. Or, chicken wire, or something else that breathes but serves the purspose. Thankfully, I really only had one that kept looking up at objects above the box, plotting her escape. I should name her Shawshank or something similar. She is still the first to explore new spaces, heights, and roosts.