Brooder Overhaul - Winging It

[Vadard]

That is a beast! Great fixture for sure. I also love the heat plate and secure lamp at first idea. Best of luck to you and your new babies.

Thanks!

 

[Vadard]

STEP ZERO: DECONSTRUCT, DE-BUG, & DISINFECT

Decided to start off on the right foot by cleaning the pen out and assessing the damage from 2 years in a field. Took off the lid, soaked it down with the Universal Poultry Sterilizer (water+Dawn+Bleach) and let it soak for a while. Then blasted it out with the hose.

Looking much better. Less bug damage than I expected, no snakes or rats underneath it thankfully, and in general I think it’s salvageable.

Couldn’t resist popping a few nails in to hold the HWC down. Also nailed one of the side boards back in. I’ll need to put another board on top of it bc it’s just this side of rotten, but that will be for another day.

 

[3KillerBs]

I was worried about BBQing the chicks if I used a 250-watt warmer light in that box.

As a fellow hot-climate person, I solved that problem by using lower wattage bulbs -- having an assortment of reptile bulbs from 60-150 watt as well as the Big Red Bulb.

I'm using a heat plate now, but I think it would be difficult to have that many chicks with plates unless you separated them into smaller groups.

IIRC, the reason that some hatcheries say not to use the plates is that while they're fine for keeping chicks we hatch at home warm (chicks that have never been cold), they're not suited to the rewarming of chilled chicks because the only work when the chick touches them and don't warm the environment.

 

[Vadard]

As a fellow hot-climate person, I solved that problem by using lower wattage bulbs -- having an assortment of reptile bulbs from 60-150 watt as well as the Big Red Bulb.

I'm using a heat plate now, but I think it would be difficult to have that many chicks with plates unless you separated them into smaller groups.

IIRC, the reason that some hatcheries say not to use the plates is that while they're fine for keeping chicks we hatch at home warm (chicks that have never been cold), they're not suited to the rewarming of chilled chicks because the only work when the chick touches them and don't warm the environment.

Using lower-wattage bulbs makes sense. Hadn't thought of reptile bulbs...thanks for the suggestion.You are correct about the hatchery's warning about warming plates. Basically, the chicks are too stressed & chilled from the shipping ordeal. I may look at lining the sides of the box with lower wattage bulbs and putting the warming plate(s) in the middle to start off. Thanks!

 

[3KillerBs]

Using lower-wattage bulbs makes sense. Hadn't thought of reptile bulbs...thanks for the suggestion.You are correct about the hatchery's warning about warming plates. Basically, the chicks are too stressed & chilled from the shipping ordeal. I may look at lining the sides of the box with lower wattage bulbs and putting the warming plate(s) in the middle to start off. Thanks!

Make sure to monitor temperatures and not get them overheated.

In my outdoor brooder during the cold snap a couple weeks ago when the ambient temperatures were dropping into the 20's overnight with highs in the 40's it was between 65 and 75 under my Big Red Bulb -- which was warm enough for my plate to operate properly.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

This photo is from about 3 days -- I'd just taken down the little shield and given them them about a 4'x5' area.

BTW -- I have 16 square feet of permanent ventilation and it gets up to 100F if it's not shaded on an 90F day.

 

[Vadard]

Make sure to monitor temperatures and not get them overheated.

In my outdoor brooder during the cold snap a couple weeks ago when the ambient temperatures were dropping into the 20's overnight with highs in the 40's it was between 65 and 75 under my Big Red Bulb -- which was warm enough for my plate to operate properly.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

This photo is from about 3 days -- I'd just taken down the little shield and given them them about a 4'x5' area.

BTW -- I have 16 square feet of permanent ventilation and it gets up to 100F if it's not shaded on an 90F day.

Nice build. I’ll definitely be watching the temp. Hope to be able to experiment with it for a few weeks before chicks arrive.

 

[3KillerBs]

Nice build. I’ll definitely be watching the temp. Hope to be able to experiment with it for a few weeks before chicks arrive.

Good idea.

 

[Vadard]

Had to go out of town for a week, but I'm back at it. I changed gears to work on the lean-to aspect of this outdoor brooder setup. I set 3 6x6 posts behind my very stout 16x8 shed. Next I ran a beam across the top of the posts. Then rafters from the shed to the beam, and purlins on top. I forgot to take pictures as I went -- sorry.

Here's where it stands this evening. This is a highly rednecky improvised scrap-wood situation, so you may want to look away now if that's upsetting for you. The cleared out area behind the top photo is where the 16x24 run will be. (Next project!)

Also recieved my Brinsea Ecoglow 1200 warming plate today. Looking forward to getting it all set up.

 

[Vadard]

Well I made some progress on a couple of fronts. I’ve got the metal roof screwed down on the lean-to. Also added the HWC to the bottom of the brooder. I found more termite damage than I was expecting, and I didn’t trust staples to hold on in the bad areas. So I ran big deck screws thru to the good wood with fender washers to hold the HWC down. It will be the last ride for this tractor/brooder. The termites and carpenter bees did a number on it!

 

[3KillerBs]

The termites and carpenter bees did a number on it!

The scourge of the south.