- May 5, 2013
- 8
- 1
- 52
So we just moved to rural Palisade, CO, and I decided that it was finally time to get some backyard chickens. We live right in town, so we are only allowed to have up to 6, so I decided that 3 would be good to start with, being that I am a chicken "beginner." I have learned a few lessons already that I wanted to share...
This is a pic of the little darlings on their first day. I quickly removed the paper towels after I took the pic, realizing that they were not necessary. The bedding stayed nice and try.
This is a (sideways) pic of my brooder. I just filled a rubbermaid tub with bedding I found at Murdochs, and added a feeder and waterer. Due to having a dog who "rules the roost" in the house, the chicks were put in the garage. I found that a ladder was an easy and safe way to control the heat from the heat lamp. Later I used a wire metal door from a dog crate to cover the top.
LESSON NUMBER 1: I bought a red 250 watt light bulb, based on recommendations I read online. (To discourage them hurting each other, and thinking that the temp would need to be at 95 degrees) After about 30 minutes, I realized that it was turning that plastic into an oven, and even at 95 degrees, they were waaay too hot, panting and trying to get away from the heat source. So, three chicks in a plastic brooder will need a lot lower wattage bulb!
SO, I replaced the red bulb with a 60 watt incandescent. And they were totally happy. Keep in mind that in Palisade, CO near the end of May, it is already reaching temps of 70-85 degrees, and our garage holds the daytime warmth pretty well.
After about a week, the little darlings were really starting to out grow the brooder. I caught one perching on the edge of the tote when I was cleaning and replacing the water, and realized that the time had come. We were gonna need a bigger boat. I haven't received my coop in the mail yet, so I had little choice but to transform a dog crate into a brooder. Here's what I came up with.
I wrapped chicken wire around the crate, tying it to the crate with wire. I wrapped cardboard around that, then masking tape to "seal" the crate to the table, which is covered with a packing blanket. I will just scoop out the old bedding and replace it when needed.
LESSON #2: The little darlings like to make a HUGE mess with the bedding. After shopvac-ing half of my garage, I wrapped the cardboard around the tote, and then attached the cardboard to the table (covered with a packing blanket) with masking tape. The light still provides plenty of warmth, and they seem really happy.
LESSON #3: I flipped over a plastic plant tray and set the waterer on top of it: the heigth really cuts down on bedding and feces in the water bowl!
I have been playing NPR and the Classical music station to the little darlings occasionally, as well as singing to them whenever I approach and clean out their cage. My fiance things that I am NUTS and it's totally overkill, but I insist that they seem much more calm and happy when I sing or play the radio. Thoughts on this?
Lesson Number 4: The little darlings totally dig the 1/2" dowel. It fits neatly in the chicken wire through the wire crate.
As you can see, they are feathering out, and it hopefully won't be long until I can move them to the coop.
LESSON #5: After trying to fish bedding out of the feeder without having to dump out and waste all of the food in there I was getting irritated.Once a day I clean it out completely to clean out all of the droppings, but periodically throughout the day when I see the bedding is blocking the food holes, a popsicle stick is a handy little tool to fish it out.
Well, that's it. Just wanted to share my experience. If anyone notices any glaring errors or moments of brilliance, feel free to comment. Thanks!
This is a pic of the little darlings on their first day. I quickly removed the paper towels after I took the pic, realizing that they were not necessary. The bedding stayed nice and try.
This is a (sideways) pic of my brooder. I just filled a rubbermaid tub with bedding I found at Murdochs, and added a feeder and waterer. Due to having a dog who "rules the roost" in the house, the chicks were put in the garage. I found that a ladder was an easy and safe way to control the heat from the heat lamp. Later I used a wire metal door from a dog crate to cover the top.
LESSON NUMBER 1: I bought a red 250 watt light bulb, based on recommendations I read online. (To discourage them hurting each other, and thinking that the temp would need to be at 95 degrees) After about 30 minutes, I realized that it was turning that plastic into an oven, and even at 95 degrees, they were waaay too hot, panting and trying to get away from the heat source. So, three chicks in a plastic brooder will need a lot lower wattage bulb!
SO, I replaced the red bulb with a 60 watt incandescent. And they were totally happy. Keep in mind that in Palisade, CO near the end of May, it is already reaching temps of 70-85 degrees, and our garage holds the daytime warmth pretty well.
After about a week, the little darlings were really starting to out grow the brooder. I caught one perching on the edge of the tote when I was cleaning and replacing the water, and realized that the time had come. We were gonna need a bigger boat. I haven't received my coop in the mail yet, so I had little choice but to transform a dog crate into a brooder. Here's what I came up with.
I wrapped chicken wire around the crate, tying it to the crate with wire. I wrapped cardboard around that, then masking tape to "seal" the crate to the table, which is covered with a packing blanket. I will just scoop out the old bedding and replace it when needed.
LESSON #2: The little darlings like to make a HUGE mess with the bedding. After shopvac-ing half of my garage, I wrapped the cardboard around the tote, and then attached the cardboard to the table (covered with a packing blanket) with masking tape. The light still provides plenty of warmth, and they seem really happy.
LESSON #3: I flipped over a plastic plant tray and set the waterer on top of it: the heigth really cuts down on bedding and feces in the water bowl!
I have been playing NPR and the Classical music station to the little darlings occasionally, as well as singing to them whenever I approach and clean out their cage. My fiance things that I am NUTS and it's totally overkill, but I insist that they seem much more calm and happy when I sing or play the radio. Thoughts on this?
Lesson Number 4: The little darlings totally dig the 1/2" dowel. It fits neatly in the chicken wire through the wire crate.
As you can see, they are feathering out, and it hopefully won't be long until I can move them to the coop.
LESSON #5: After trying to fish bedding out of the feeder without having to dump out and waste all of the food in there I was getting irritated.Once a day I clean it out completely to clean out all of the droppings, but periodically throughout the day when I see the bedding is blocking the food holes, a popsicle stick is a handy little tool to fish it out.
Well, that's it. Just wanted to share my experience. If anyone notices any glaring errors or moments of brilliance, feel free to comment. Thanks!
(helps me a lot) because yeah. They make a real mess!
