BROODER QUESTION!

[PoesAccomplice]

Had a question. I have ordered a batch of 7 day-old chicks. I have chosen to have a large plastic container to be my brooder. Is this going to be small, or just fine?

 

[azjustin]

How many chicks and what breed?

Measurements of your brooder?

Brooders will always be too small as the chicks grow in size.

 

[Parks]

Even being a total chick newb I can give some advice. We have 6 chicks that are approx two weeks old. Our big plastic tub is 36"x18". I can't believe how fast they are growing and how big they have gotten. We are looking to upsize the brooder this coming weekend to at least 36"x36" or bigger. And our current setup is 12" high. We have a shoe box with door cutouts in it so the chicks can use it like a cave as well as roost on top of it. They can jump/flap to get on top of it and as of today can jump/flap to get the 7" to the rim of the plastic tub. Time to get 24"+ sides too.

 

[donrae]

It'll be fine.

for a bout a week

.

Chicks grow very fast, and they need enough space they don't get on each other's nerves too much. They also need space to get totally out from under the heat lamp, that's hard to manage in most totes.

 

[realsis]

Hi, for my 10 chicks I'm using for a brooder a large dog cage. The cage is large enough to house a 80+pound dog. I can crawl inside it. It's about 5 feet long and about 3 feet high. I lined the bars with cardboard to prevent drafts. My girls are now about 21 Days old and honestly, they need something BIGGER already. They fly about and are getting grumpy with each other. I'd say by day 21 each bird is the size of a large dove. It's getting IMPOSSIBLE to keep clean water. Everything I turn around I'm cleaning it. I put paper towels over shavings and change them daily. I have a large 20 hole lengthwise feeder that gets topped up daily. I sure love my little girls and wow do they grow fast! My breeds include 7 female Barred Rocks, 1 Female Golden Buff, 1 Female Silver Laced Wyannadotte, and 1 Female Silver penciled Rock. All will be standard size. So I'm not sure how many chicks you have coming but for a brooder, THINK BIG.

 

[PoesAccomplice]

UPDATE:

It is 26 in. x 14in., 30 gallons.
I have three Golden Laced Wyandottes, two Buff Irpingtons, and two Barred Rocks
If this container is two sank, could you guys post some other ideas for brooders? Thanks

 

[SpunkyBird]

I'm a newbie too. Our older babies (almost 6 weeks) were 4 to a 40 gallon tote. That worked well until about 4 weeks when enough was enough. I put them out in our huge dog cage during the day (with shade) and only in the brooder at night until 5 weeks when I let them spend the night outside. I only brought them in the garage for bad weather (we had storms and a tornado). If we had the coop done they'd be in there by now. We have a makeshift, rain and wind - sheltered "grow out" pen of sorts made out of the dog cage and spare lumber plus a smaller plastic tub (takes up less than 1/4 of the dog kennel) for them to get inside and on top.

Now we have the new batch of bantams in the same brooder. I'm guessing it will last about as long. We'll have the coop done before they hit 3-4 weeks so I'll start putting them out in the dog cage near the older girls and just right in the coop once they are all acclimated.

That's the plan for now anyway.

 

[donrae]

If these are your first birds, get your coop built if it isn't already. Move the birds out to the coop as soon as possible. At 3-4 weeks my chicks are outside with a heat lamp at night. If the day is cool I'll leave the lamp on during the day, but it's been nice enough they just have the sunshine.

 

[Parks]

UPDATE:

It is 26 in. x 14in., 30 gallons.
I have three Golden Laced Wyandottes, two Buff Irpingtons, and two Barred Rocks
If this container is two sank, could you guys post some other ideas for brooders? Thanks

I'm on the look out for a full size refer or stove cardboard box to use. Lay it on its side and cut a top out of it and bingo. Should be large enough. If I can get something 3'x5' or a bit bigger it may hold me over until the coop is build. Since these larger boxes are hard to find i may visit a Uhaul place to see if i combine two of the wardrobe boxes together they would be big enough. in the end it is going to have to be something that can be modified or fabbed up.