What is a good brooder size for "20" day old standard size chicks? I don't want to have one too large or too small. Thanks!
You really can't get too big. As long as they know where the heat is and have cooler spots to go to. I read somewhere that they need at least 3/4 of a square foot per bird up until 4ish weeks and then 1 square foot per bird until they go out in the coop once they are fully feathered. But the more space you have for them the less apt they are to peck at each other. Hope this helps!
I got a REALLY large plastic tote from a discount store. Then I used a box cutter to cut a large hole in the lid - just followed the outline of the lid so that there was just the rim left. Then I stapled plastic screen over the top. It made a great brooder - easy to assemble, easy to clean & looks nice. The plastic holds in the warmth - the screen gives them ventilation. When I'm not using it as a brooder, I store my brooder supplies in it. It might be a tight fit for 20 chicks, though.
