Brooder cleaning

[ForFlocksSake]

I have 6 chicks in a large cooler (the lid has been removed). I clean the water and food multiple times per day but can’t figure out how often I should be changing the bedding. I saw somewhere someone posted they just add more wood chips over the poopy wood chips and then completely clean it out once a week. Is that ok? I cleaned the entire brooder (hosed it out, wiped down, new bedding) two days ago and it’s already pretty poopy in there. Just trying to keep my chicks as healthy as possible.

 

[Shadrach]

I have 6 chicks in a large cooler (the lid has been removed). I clean the water and food multiple times per day but can’t figure out how often I should be changing the bedding. I saw somewhere someone posted they just add more wood chips over the poopy wood chips and then completely clean it out once a week. Is that ok? I cleaned the entire brooder (hosed it out, wiped down, new bedding) two days ago and it’s already pretty poopy in there. Just trying to keep my chicks as healthy as possible.

Daily cleaning by removing any poop and damp bedding is what I would do. Full clean out once a week should be adequate if the daily routine is done.

 

[DobieLover]

I have 6 chicks in a large cooler (the lid has been removed). I clean the water and food multiple times per day but can’t figure out how often I should be changing the bedding. I saw somewhere someone posted they just add more wood chips over the poopy wood chips and then completely clean it out once a week. Is that ok? I cleaned the entire brooder (hosed it out, wiped down, new bedding) two days ago and it’s already pretty poopy in there. Just trying to keep my chicks as healthy as possible.

If you really want your chicks as healthy as possible get them out of that cooler. It's very difficult to get enough fresh air moving inside a solid structure and it is way too small for 6 chicks. If you are using a heat lamp as the heat source, it is also likely overheated.
Do you already have the coop and run built? If so, brood them outside in the coop using a brooder plate and they will be much better off.
As for keeping the bedding dry and the water clean, make a baby bottle for them and suspend it from a chain so you can raise it as they grow.

This was made from a $0.75 sports bottle I got from a thrift store and a vertical nipple that I got from the farm store in a pack of 4. You need a screw on lid with a flip top that you can leave open to prevent a vacuum from forming.

Chicks from hatch to 1 week should have 1 sq ft of brooder space. From 1 week to 5 weeks they should have 2 sq ft per chick. After that, you need to bump them up to 3 sq ft per chick or already have started the integration process into the adult flock where 3.5-4 sq ft minimum per bird is maintained at all population sizes.

Lots of threads have been started here discussing behavior issues with chicks kept in too small a space with nothing to do in the space. They need to have perches or other objects to jump up on, sunshine in some part of the brooder to sun bathe in, something to scratch around in etc. And lots of fresh air to prevent respiratory issues.

Given dry bedding with proper space per chick, weekly cleanouts suffice.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

If you really want your chicks as healthy as possible get them out of that cooler. It's very difficult to get enough fresh air moving inside a solid structure and it is way too small for 6 chicks. If you are using a heat lamp as the heat source, it is also likely overheated.
Do you already have the coop and run built? If so, brood them outside in the coop using a brooder plate and they will be much better off.
As for keeping the bedding dry and the water clean, make a baby bottle for them and suspend it from a chain so you can raise it as they grow.
View attachment 3533649
This was made from a $0.75 sports bottle I got from a thrift store and a vertical nipple that I got from the farm store in a pack of 4. You need a screw on lid with a flip top that you can leave open to prevent a vacuum from forming.

Chicks from hatch to 1 week should have 1 sq ft of brooder space. From 1 week to 5 weeks they should have 2 sq ft per chick. After that, you need to bump them up to 3 sq ft per chick or already have started the integration process into the adult flock where 3.5-4 sq ft minimum per bird is maintained at all population sizes.

Lots of threads have been started here discussing behavior issues with chicks kept in too small a space with nothing to do in the space. They need to have perches or other objects to jump up on, sunshine in some part of the brooder to sun bathe in, something to scratch around in etc. And lots of fresh air to prevent respiratory issues.

Given dry bedding with proper space per chick, weekly cleanouts suffice.

Thanks for your response! I think you’re picturing a much smaller cooler than I have. This is a huge long cooler meant for offshore fishing. Not your typical ice and drinks cooler. We definitely plan on moving them out to the coop soon. Working on getting it built, but they’re still all less than 3 weeks (two are less than 2 weeks) so we have a little wiggle room. Was hoping to wait for them to all get feathers so I don’t have to mess with the brooder plate in the coop. It’s hot during the day here (north Florida up in mid to high 80s) and gets down to mid 70s at night.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Was hoping to wait for them to all get feathers so I don’t have to mess with the brooder plate in the coop. It’s hot during the day here (north Florida up in mid to high 80s) and gets down to mid 70s at night.

With temps that high you definitely don't need to wait for full feathering. I'm amazed they're even using the brooder plate at this point.