BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[4F FARM]

Here is my brooder. The bottom is a old counter top. The laminate makes it easy to clean. It is split in half, so I can house different ages.

 

[chickfillhay]

Here's my new brooder.

The rubbermaid got too small. So I went to Save A Lot for boxes to put together. When the manager heard what I needed it for, he got all excited

and went to the store room and gave me this!
It has a lid and a bottom. The box lifts off for easy cleaning.
SOOOO SORRY ABOUT THE SIZE. TRIED TO SHRINK IT BUT COULDN'T un

Lemon Pepper on the edge

 

[Reinbeau]

Uh-oh, an escapee!

 

[chickfillhay]

I KNOW!!! I have 3 that do this.
The one you see is Lemon Pepper. The other 2 are Grey Poupon and Honey Mustard. They fear nothing. In fact, Lemon Pepper jumps right on my hand. And most of them are attracted to my ring.
I was washing the dishes when something told me to turn around. I looked over at the brooder and all three were perched up in a row looking over at me! Took me by surprise at first. Then I just laughed!!1 Funny!!

 

[love-my-wolves]

Ok, please don't laugh. I never thought I'd be bringing home itty-bitties, so I had to use whatever I had. We don't get paid until Thurs, so this is very temporary, but it works.

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

I wish we had better pictures of the brooder. Its hard to get a picture of the whole thing, its in the garage, and we have a frame built around it that is covered in plastic, and has a blanket for a door way so you walk through that to get to the brooder. Didnt want any draft or cold getting to the babys.
We have 25 ornimental layer....this is new for us, but loving every second of it!!!

This is what you see when you walk into our garage

 

[tygab]

This is a mock up of our brooder. Thanks to this thread, we had some really great ideas on how to do this and my husband did a great job for our first!

We won't be getting our chicks for probably another month (ordering through Agway in Littleton MA). Here are our options for initial placement of the brooder:

-someplace indoors, with us and 2 cats
-basement, cool but no cats, we can't see them easily
-mudroom, colder but no cats and we can see them

When they get bigger and need more room, they will be going into the barn in some fashion. Then hopefully by end of may into their coop which we be building.

Any suggestions or things to improve? Will they eat a towel with fringes? I can easily replace it if so.

Also is there any rule of thumb for # of chicks per brooder size?

Thanks! so excited!

 

[2dream]

I don't know if there is a rule of thumb on # of chicks but I placed 10 to 12 day olds in each of my brooders similar to yours - that was good for a little over a week at which time I had to add another brooder and reduce number to 7 per brooder. You will know. The chicks need room to move, jump, strecth, get away from the light. Those were for the standard chicks. The banty chicks are still ok in one of the large brooders.

 

[SeaChick]

tygab,
I would keep them inside for a while at least. As long as that lid is scure your cats shouldn't be able to get them. I always close the door to the room they're in at night, too (during the day we're constantly watching them -because they're so darn cute!- so we can shoo the cat away). But indoors they're less likely to get chilled, and you can monitor them for pasty butts and stuff more easily.
That's just my 2 cents, though. Lots of folks keep them out in garages or basements. We like hving them close by to watch!

 

[chickfillhay]

Yea I KNOW! Mine are in the house right now. They are about 21/2 to 3wks old. You know the smell didn't bother me at first. But now that they are older and eating more they are also a daily chore. Getting to be where I have to clean up twice a day! Pew! I think this is my clue to put them in the coop. Besides, my eggs are due to hatch the day after Easter. And I'll need room for those little buggers.
I have an open brooder with chicken wire all around, and a locking door. I'll be putting them in there. While still providing the light. I am considering throwing my only adult hen in with them for a mommy figure but not sure how to go about it.