What size brooder box would I need for at max 18 chicks and at min 8 chicks I would be keeping them in there for 5 weeks and I will be breeding large chickens not bantams Help would be great fully appreciated
You do not need a brooder box. Brood the chicks right in your coop. You do have a coop, right? Brooder boxes are not the best way to brood chicks. They are too small. Too confining. Too hot. They stink up your house and deposit dust on and in everything. I know I'm being blunt, but think about it. Why is it necessary to stick a bunch of chicks in a small plastic box when they can be living in the glorious, natural space in a coop or run? I wrote an article for BYC about tossing out your brooder boxes and brooding outside. It's linked below and details all the benefits to the chicks. Check it out. And a heating pad is a much safer alternative as a heat source to a heat lamp. Check out Blooie's thread on heating pad brooding here on this forum.
