BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[SunHwaKwon]

Here is how I started with my 30 keets two weeks ago. It's an XL wire dog crate with cardboard around the edges. I used puppy pads for the first week then switched to pine shavings.



This past weekend I decided they were looking too cramped though so on Sunday I put together this:





Now everyone has plenty of room to run around and practice hopping and flying. There is no cover on it but its an enclosed porch so even if they hopped out there is no where to go. I open the windows during the day and close them at night. I have a day heat lamp and night heat lamp but think I can get rid of both by this weekend. They aren't really using it. Hopefully I will be down 10 birds before long (I have them listed for sale on craigslist) and then another 8 are going to my neighbor so the remaining 12 will be staying in this setup until the last weekend in August.

BTW, the outlets are covered over with tape and the post with the lights is screwed to the sill The door is also tied to the miter saw stand to keep it from falling over and crushing the babies. This was a great free and expandable set up but I probably won't need another brooder so I didn't want to have to invest too much time or money.

 

[Snphillips]

this is our brooder we get 50 chicks tomorrow

please let me know if there are some things we should change
also how long would I keep them in here im sure once they get bigger they will be climbing out also I was thinking some little logs in there would that we a good idea

 

[aart]

this is our brooder we get 50 chicks tomorrow

please let me know if there are some things we should change
also how long would I keep them in here im sure once they get bigger they will be climbing out also I was thinking some little logs in there would that we a good idea

Welcome to BYC!

How deep is that bedding? You only need a couple inches at most.
Is the brooder in the coop?

What is your climate? (putting your location in your profile helps folks give better suggestions/answers)

 

[tballard]

The baby chicks will be perching on top of the brooder walls within two weeks - three weeks tops. They are pretty good that way. At this time of year, I'd say you could just skip the brooder and put them in the coop right away, with the appropriate heat source, of course. I did that this year with 17 chicks I got in June and it worked out just fine. Of course, you will want to keep them separate from any other older chickens you may have and merge them in later, but it sounds like you are starting out with all baby chicks, so just going into the coop would be fine. Alternatively, you start them out in your brooder and move them to the coop once they start flying out of the brooder. Either way, you should be fine in the summer time.

 

[GlassesGirl]

Here is a pic of our new brooder. I just put Silkie eggs in the incubator today! Never mind. I can't figure out how to add a pic. :-(

 

[Brookliner]

Welcome to BYC!

How deep is that bedding? You only need a couple inches at most.
Is the brooder in the coop?

What is your climate? (putting your location in your profile helps folks give better suggestions/answers)

Please attach a chain as an extra support to the heat lamp. You dont want it catching the bedding on fire.

 

[Brookliner]

Stella one of my broody hens sitting on chicks

 

[GlassesGirl]

Ok. Here's our new brooder! I think I figured out how to attach a pic. What does everyone think?

 

[RubyNala97]

Stella one of my broody hens sitting on chicks

Beautiful! Love your incubator!

 

[Brookliner]

Stella is a complete care package. I have put day old chicks under her at night and the next morning she is teaching them everything chicks need to know. No fire hazzard with a broody on the job. She doesn't lay eggs anymore but she loves chicks.

:cd