brooder plans ( for many chicks of several ages)

[priszilla]

I am attempting to plan a better way to rear chicks- lotsof chicks.Like groups of 20+ new bantam chicks weekly for roughly 8 weeks or so at a time. Currently I think there are 8 groups from 2 to 24 in the totes- a total of about 65 chicks at the moment inside. Then they will be going to their "real" home- currently they are in rubbermaid/sterlite type totes with incandescant heat lights over them on wire if that makes sense. They are started on shelf liner and graduate to pine shavigs or aspen when I have tome to go to TSC to get it.I have up to 10 of these mini brooders going at a time- and they are making dust all aver the living room- and the noise and mess are making my dh nuts. So he wants to move the chick growing to the garage or basement or a building outside. Any great ideas folks? needs to be reasonable in price, temperature stable in winter and not tooooooo hot in summer ( hot summer here) and not too hard to keep sanitary or to check on the chicks frequently. I am drawing a blank - but I am very tired tonight- been a loooong long long day.Thanks for the advice

 

[debilorrah]

Gosh with that many I would have to agree the garage is probably the best place, since yours is a temporary home. If it was permanent that would be another story. You would have to comence to buidin....

 

[priszilla]

Its an ongoing project. I am concerned the temps will fluctuate .Also where they are now I can check on them if anyone peeps in distress

 

[Shared Acres]

Maybe something that is moveable? Maybe garage for winter and something outside for summer? That way temp is somewhat helped.

 

[DaKid]

I raise most of my chicks in my basement or garage

so I taking it by reading ur post you are only raiseing these chicks for 8 weeks then they go,


if so I would build large 1/2" plywood pens 8 ft . long by 2ft. high by 4 ft width and place screen for the top , plenty of room , easy to clean cuz only 2 ft high , use pine shaving

chickens can with stand cold temps but not drafts basements or garage they'll be fine .......mine do just fine until they reach 3-4 weeks then they go into the coop outside

 

[cmom]

I have raised mine in my garage/barn. I use a 1"x1/2" wire so that no rats or snakes can get to them. I haven't lost a chick yet except one that was delivered sick.

 

[Fredster]

Quote:
Yep, that's exactly what I use, same dimensions and all.

Since you need to raise several groups, you might consider smaller pens, like 4x4x2 instead of 8x4x2. Half-inch plywood isn't all that heavy, either.

 

[newchickmom]

In garage?

 

[the1much]

find an idiot that will turn their BBQ shack into a huge nursery lol

 

[priszilla]

love that picture...DH wants it to be in the basement.I can't watch them as close down there,but maybe I'll tone up some going up and down the stairs