Brooder box help asap

Rookiechookie

In the Brooder
Feb 25, 2016
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Hi i am new so I've probably posted this not in the right spot
I have a brooder box that is 3.5 foot wide and 6 foot long is this enough room for 15 chicks? Please reply asap

And what wattage heat lamp would I need?:):):)
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join the flock! For new chicks your brooder sounds great but either way they are going to grow out of it sooner than you think. Being prepared for the next step is always a bonus. As for bulb I don't have a lot of choice and can only get a 250 watt for my lamp but you can get lower watts and they do just fine. Your chicks will tell if they are too hot or cold. If they are all huddled on top of each other under the heat they are cold and if they are spread around the edges they are too hot. Adjusting the height of the lamp to suit what your chicks are doing will be needed. Here is a great section form the learning centre ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-and-raising-chicks

Wishing you the very best of luck and enjoy BYC :frow
 
welcome-byc.gif


How fun starting out with 15 chicks! What breed are you getting (or have)?

Instead of using a heat lamp, there's another way of brooding your chicks. Check out this thread (or at least the beginning of it, it's really long):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

Whichever way you go, with a lamp or a heating pad "cave", have fun and take lots of pictures because those chicks don't stay little very long!
 
The chicks won't be hatching for a while partly because all my other hens are moulting but once they do start it will be winter. I prefer not breeding in the winter partly because of the cold climate here in Tasmania but once it warms up again I will have plenty of photos of my newly born chicks

I am breeding buff columbian Wyandotte's and Barneveldars with a 150w heat lamp
 
How high will the sides of the brooder be? Those tiny chicks try out their wings early. If they make it to the top they either fall out or fly out and can't get back in

Always a good idea to have a wire top on the brooder for just that reason and/- or to keep house pets out. Welcome to Backyard chickens.
 

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