Brooder questions

[Captain Quark]

First time hatching any birds for me. We have cortunix quail. I've got five of twenty eggs that have hatched. We use vermicompost bedding, so for the brooder I set up the smaller pen with and pine shavings to keep the ground warmer. So far all five chicks are eating the pine shavings. ☹

Because of that I took out all the pine shavings, and spread the feed around on the ground (as well as on the original paper towel idea). Have you experienced them eating the pine shavings?

Secondly, my brooder plate was late so I originally set up a heat panel I saw in a thread here. Angled wood legs with a cookie cooling rack placed on top. Heating pad placed over that and towel on top so they don't burn their feet of they walk on it. It was working good I thought until I checked underneath and they are getting their beaks stuck in the wire square openings, then bending their necks back at a dangerous angle. I panicked and took it out, covered it in tea towels so they can push up into it safely. I think the tea towels are keeping the heat from penetrating well, and the ground is more cold because of the soil. My husband says I'm making too much of it and let them figure it out. I'm not as sure and want to reduce the chirping unhappiness that's going on right now.

I put in the brooder plate. They are under that but very unhappy still. Not sure what to do next. I think they did better with the pine shavings.

Update : I put tea towels down on the ground and some stuffed toys they can kind of nuzzle into and climb on, with a blanket that's covering the cookie rack inside and out that let's the heat in and they can still push their heads up into. Everyone is warm and happy right now. Hoping for a calm first night!

 

[Nabiki]

I use a heat lamp for mine. I've only had a problem with the chicks eating the pine bedding if it's very fine. Here is a picture of my brooder.

 

[rangehen]

I use large flake pine shavings for the first couple weeks until I’m sure they all know how to find the feeder. After that I switch to a mini flake from the local feed store... it’s finer than the stuff pictured by Nabiki but coarser than sawdust. I like it because I can use a kitty litter scoop to clean out the poop and fluff it up. Bedding can stay damp when it’s compacted but dries out quicker if it’s fluffy and loose. The babies also enjoy dust bathing in it.

I also use a lamp but with a ceramic heat emitter instead of a light. I leave a small night light on nearby but otherwise get them used to a day/night cycle from the beginning. I use plastic tubs with hardware cloth tops for brooders and just set the fixture right on top of the wire - no danger of it falling and causing a fire. My brooders are the biggest tubs I can find, so they have lots of room to move away from the heat but can warm up without overcrowding.

 

[Nabiki]

I use large flake pine shavings for the first couple weeks until I’m sure they all know how to find the feeder. After that I switch to a mini flake from the local feed store... it’s finer than the stuff pictured by Nabiki but coarser than sawdust. I like it because I can use a kitty litter scoop to clean out the poop and fluff it up. Bedding can stay damp when it’s compacted but dries out quicker if it’s fluffy and loose. The babies also enjoy dust bathing in it.

I also use a lamp but with a ceramic heat emitter instead of a light. I leave a small night light on nearby but otherwise get them used to a day/night cycle from the beginning. I use plastic tubs with hardware cloth tops for brooders and just set the fixture right on top of the wire - no danger of it falling and causing a fire. My brooders are the biggest tubs I can find, so they have lots of room to move away from the heat but can warm up without overcrowding.

My heat lamp is also a ceramic heat emitter. That way I'm not messing up the chicks' day/night cycle. Your brooder sounds a lot like mine.

 

[FloorCandy]

My heat lamp is also a ceramic heat emitter. That way I'm not messing up the chicks' day/night cycle. Your brooder sounds a lot like mine.

View attachment 2401179

I use the same bin, but I have the ones with red or beige lids. I used them previously for hamsters, but turns out they’re great brooders. I only cut out half the lid and put hardware cloth, but the opposite side has a hole cut in the front of the bin and I attached a wire cage door panel. I have found with all prey animals the little side door is less scary than coming from above if you want to tame them and have them take treats from your hands (which is important to my kids) otherwise just go with a ventilated roof.

 

[vall]

Is that velcro holding up the water bottle? Neat idea.

 

[FloorCandy]

Is that velcro holding up the water bottle? Neat idea.

Yup

 

[Ravenlover]

Yup

So stealing this idea

 

[FloorCandy]

So stealing this idea

The strips on the bottle are Velcro cable organizer ties, I ran out of Velcro strips so I just ran the ties around it, super easy and height adjustable.

 

[FloorCandy]

So stealing this idea

Also, I take Chinese takeout soup cups, you know they’re plastic and impossible to open? I cut a quail head sized hole in the lid and I Velcro the bottom of the cup sidways off the side of a cinder block outside in the pens, and that is where they get oyster shell from. I had to glue the Velcro side onto the cinder block, the adhesive it had already was not up to the task.