Brooder setup opinions

[Harmoni]

This is our current setup. I have a small space heater blowing on the bin keeping it between 82-85 degrees. I have a heat plate coming today. We orginally had a heat lamp until I read how bad those were.
I will be adding a bowl of grit/ sand bath bowl.
I feel like I am missing something.
Also, advice on waterers. I have a nipple one outside with my big girls and they hate it. I'm assuming I should introduce a nipple waterer to the chicks sooner rather than later, right?

 

[MountainWoman73]

I'd take that lid off. Chicks need a lot of air circulation and ventilation. Once they start to fly a little, cover it with something like chicken wire or a grate. I regularly use the extra oven rack from my oven as a brooder lid.

 

[MastrangeloFamily]

We cut out the inside of the lid and bolted in hardware cloth. We have 2 cats and it is very sturdy/holds their weight and protects the chickens. Well..... It will. When we get them.

PXL_20210308_190024852.jpg

• MastrangeloFamily
• Mar 8, 2021

Brooder lid, photo taken by a 5yr old

 

[Harmoni]

So my warming plate came and my husband redesigned the lid. There are also a few holes on the food and water side to help ventilate.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have to have a well attached lid to protect them from the toddler and the cats.

I can drill more holes in the lid. There are about 65 holes in the lid.

Do you have a spare room that the chicks can go into so you can give better ventilation?

 

[MastrangeloFamily]

I like this set up a lot!

Here is some better pictures. I was trapped earlier by a sleeping baby and had to ask my 5yr old for pictures.

Better view of the Mastrangelofamily brooder

• MastrangeloFamily
• Mar 8, 2021
• 1

Everything is super bolted in because we have 2 very curious cats and 3 very curious young children.

Better view of the Mastrangelofamily brooder

• MastrangeloFamily
• Mar 8, 2021
• large brooder

The middle is cut out to make it larger.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If holes are your only option, then yes...I would put more holes in the lid and some along the sides as well, the cat is plugging up holes

 

[Mellowmalt]

My current brooder only has a fist sized ventilation hole and my chicks have done fine for the past 4 weeks trying this new one over an open top one. I exchange the air at least once a day when changing food and water so as long as the 65 holes = a fist sized hole in area then you should be good. If humidity does stay over 60% long term then it will need more holes - if not then it will not need more holes.

I can understand people saying drill more holes, the more ventilation the better sure but not when a cat is about or if those people are paying the electric bill (although in this case heat is coming from the outside and to me a heat controlled heat lamp would be far cheaper, what did you read about heat lamps that are so bad? They are brilliant, they just have some negatives that if addressed are good.
Like they need to be thermoregulated or they can overheat. They dry the air so more humidity needs to be provided to compensate.
If you don't do these things then you will encounter problems and declare heat lamps are bad but I am guessing if you do address the issues then heat lamps are not bad.

A space heater to me is terrible for example. Yes it will provide heat evenly using 10 times the electricity so to me that is very bad.
Everyone has their own criteria of what is bad

 

[wordgirl]

I think you're off to a great start! I also have concerns about heat lamps, though for safety reasons. I have used one successfully for years but am trying to switch to a safer Sweeter Heater infrared heater this year. One thing I am planning to do, however, is to provide some 24/7 light at least at first so that the chicks can find their way to food/water if needed and (more importantly to me) find their way back to the silent and un-lit heater in the dark. I know that in a natural brooding setting, with a broody hen, the chicks would be in darkness during the night, but they would also be with their mother who makes noises, has a scent, can be felt, and will move if necessary to find her lost baby. A heating plate doesn't do any of those things in the same way, so I feel like a little light is important to ensure the babies don't get lost and chilled at night. I've also read some things about chicks needing light for proper growth...I don't truly understand why this would be, but even Gail Damerow advocates for at least a dim light in brooder settings and says that chicks are more attracted to light than they are heat.

I do think that your brooder might benefit from additional ventilation, but I recognize you are trying to strike a balance between ventilation and physical safety! I wonder if you could take a piece of 1/2-inch hardware cloth and screw it into your lid (or a new lid, if needed) Hardware cloth, properly secured, is very sturdy. If you used two smaller pieces of cloth (instead of just one larger piece), it might also allow the lid to maintain a more rigid integrity. Or you could screw braces of wood to prevent the lid from bowing.

I love your pink food and water containers! I haven't used a nipple water system so I can't unfortunately speak to how to transition them, but I'm sure others will be able to help there.

 

[Harmoni]

I think you're off to a great start! I also have concerns about heat lamps, though for safety reasons. I have used one successfully for years but am trying to switch to a safer Sweeter Heater infrared heater this year. One thing I am planning to do, however, is to provide some 24/7 light at least at first so that the chicks can find their way to food/water if needed and (more importantly to me) find their way back to the silent and un-lit heater in the dark. I know that in a natural brooding setting, with a broody hen, the chicks would be in darkness during the night, but they would also be with their mother who makes noises, has a scent, can be felt, and will move if necessary to find her lost baby. A heating plate doesn't do any of those things in the same way, so I feel like a little light is important to ensure the babies don't get lost and chilled at night. I've also read some things about chicks needing light for proper growth...I don't truly understand why this would be, but even Gail Damerow advocates for at least a dim light in brooder settings and says that chicks are more attracted to light than they are heat.

I do think that your brooder might benefit from additional ventilation, but I recognize you are trying to strike a balance between ventilation and physical safety! I wonder if you could take a piece of 1/2-inch hardware cloth and screw it into your lid (or a new lid, if needed) Hardware cloth, properly secured, is very sturdy. If you used two smaller pieces of cloth (instead of just one larger piece), it might also allow the lid to maintain a more rigid integrity. Or you could screw braces of wood to prevent the lid from bowing.

I love your pink food and water containers! I haven't used a nipple water system so I can't unfortunately speak to how to transition them, but I'm sure others will be able to help there.

I'll have to do some research about the light. My house isn't pitch black as we have salt lamps and nightlight. I could put a nightlight near the brooder for some light.