Brooder box

[tashtash]

Ok me again getting advise. So eggs hatch from incubator..... What's the most simplest and easy brooder box. What's all the do and donts. Any simple and non expensive brooder box ideas welcomed.

 

[Judy]

I used large cardboard boxes, found at a furniture store, when I raised them indoors... which I don't do any more. I covered the bottom with large garbage bags then pine shavings. Some bird netting from the garden section prevented flying out. One of those cardboard shipping bxes for melons work well, too. A couple of old window screens also work well for a cover. Figure at least 1 sq ft per chick if they will be in the brooder 4 weeks or more. At 8 weeks, 2 sq ft is better.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I used large cardboard boxes, found at a furniture store, when I raised them indoors... which I don't do any more. I covered the bottom with large garbage bags then pine shavings. Some bird netting from the garden section prevented flying out. One of those cardboard shipping bxes for melons work well, too. A couple of old window screens also work well for a cover. Figure at least 1 sq ft per chick if they will be in the brooder 4 weeks or more. At 8 weeks, 2 sq ft is better.

Great advice! I use plastic totes for a week or two and then move to a bigger box, quite simple! for the first week I lay papertowels down over the shavings/



These two partridge brahma chicks hatched out on day 18!!
stinkers and there are 13 more hatched laying around in the cooler bator!

 

[kacklinkelly]

we only had 3 chicks and the brooder we used was a large see through
plastic tote I bought at good will for 3 dollars. I cut the top and put chicken
wire over it. Had the lamp shining through the hole. We started with
some kind of wood pellets recommended by the feed store. They had all they
needed until we put them outside at about 8 weeks in their tractor.

The tote was about 2.5 feet wide by about 3 feet long.

 

[Shades of Blue]

I used a plastic kiddies pool that was about 5 feet wide and then I had a portable puppy pen put inside that is 2 ft. tall. I did line the bottom of the puppy pen with 8" tall cardboard strips so they couldn't creep through. It worked wonderful and I have 32 mores chicks hatching out on Monday and they will go in there. I would like to build something out of plywood though....the pool was a good but quick fix for them.

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

We use stock tanks with a piece of hex wire over top and a heat lamp attached to the side for 50+ birds. For smaller quantities we like welded wire rabbit cages with a heat lamp over top, about 18-24 inches from the chicks. For quail I like to use a covered cat litter pan with a light socket inside or a fish tank with hex wire and a desk lamp attached to the side. As you can probably tell we have tried many different brooders through the 15+ years we've been raising poultry and that's what worked best for us

 

[tashtash]

Thank you every one. great help.thanks i have a few ideas in my head now on what to do.

 

[lhalfcent]

hey all i am a new chicken lover! lol
anyway, getting ready to order some chicks and going to make my own brooder box. how warm do the chicks environment need to be? I see a thermometer in one of the pics above and see it is at about 100 degrees??? I have one of those desk lamps that you can adjust the arm to any height and want to know what amp of bulb or what type of bulb should i use?
thanks!

 

[MrNappy]

Yea, it's 100 F at first, then you slowly lower it per week.