BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[tygab]

our chicks are in a transition brooder too in our barn's office, because I felt they were past the chick neo-nate brooder we had in our house, a plastic tub brooder. I will have some pictures tomorrow (we got them in too late today to take any). And yes it's maybe harder for me to see them graduating than it is for them! But they ought to be able to stay there til the coop and run are done...

 

[COOPhilly]

Hi - I've had my 7 chicks for a month and they are amazing. I am so grateful to this particular thread and the forum in general for its collective knowledge, so I thought I'd post my brooder pics - in its current "month old" phase.

Basically we started with two halves of a large dog crate. My 7 chicks were in one half for the first two weeks and then we put them end to end for more space. I hung a 250W white brooder light on the right side on a chain from the ceiling so I could control the temperature, and a 100W red heat lamp on the left side over some perching bars. I turn the white light off at night and all the girls move over to the left side to sleep (the red goose-neck lamp is just for light and has a low-heat bulb in it).

We used to cover the top of the crate with four window screen insertions but they really wanted to fly, get on top of the water and feed jars, etc. so we came up with this crazy chicken wire frame to open up the top some more (and so we can see them better). We cover the open spots with nylon mesh screen.

We also made an outdoor "mini cooper" for warm days and for them to get out and see what the great outdoors and clover are all about. It is 6' x 4' x 2' and covered with more chicken wire and a hinged door.

Right side

Left side

Right - close up

Left - close up

Outside mini coop(er)

The girls!

 

[SterlingAcres]

I loved ALL these pictures!! Here's ours...

DH and I assembled it from some leftover porch pickets and $10 worth of hardware cloth. I've moved the heat lamp since this picture, I was afraid it'd burn the wood. The whole cage has a framed lid that closes and latches with an eye hook. I've got 2 old flat sheet cloth diapers in the bottom of it. When they get a little pooey, I can just wash them out. It's good for now, since it's currently only holding 3 chicks. I believe we built it to 2x3 or 3x4... I can't remember. It's larger than it looks here!

 

[tygab]

Here is our stage 2 brooder (first was a clear tub with hw cloth cutout). The girls are growing like weeds and are now 2 weeks and I felt we needed to do something...

It is in our barn office which is double walled, cement floor - stays a pretty constant temp and well constructed. The chicks like the new brooder since it is much larger, they can run from one side to another and flap like mad. It is made of cardboard, a pallet, and hw cloth pieces. Oh, and zip ties. I think he had to buy the zip ties. The top folds back for access to water/food/cleaning. It took my husband about 4-5 hrs. We can reuse it in the future by replacing the cardboard (if it will need it).

So, pics...

 

[morelcabin]

My brooder is actually just a 5x6 pen in my shed. I could never have them in my house...the smell of one sick chick in here drives me batty!

 

[COOPhilly]

Nice setups everyone. Yeah - the back kitchen is starting to get a little rank. Not so bad after I switched from pine shavings to hay though, and they are outside most days now as well. And luckily all the girls have been healthy.

 

[kinnip]

I'm using a kiddie pool with hardware cloth on top. I think I need to revisit the design as they grow older and bigger. Mostly I need to raise the roof a little. The pool is a super-easy economical way to make a brooder. I was planning on reusing it as a planter, but now I'm thinking about more chickens.

 

[cjstanman]

Great site! Just registered but have been getting ready for first-ever chicks. Here's a pic of my brooder. (We'll see if I can figure out this picture thing.)

Thanks for all of the wonderful information!

 

[Dilly]

Quote:
Very cute. How many chicks are you getting. I warn you if more than a couple, you will be building something much larger very soon. They grow like weeds and messy. lol

 

[cjstanman]

Thanks, Dilly - I am getting 5. I don't know how long the tote thing will last but figured it would at least give me a start, ha ha!

P.S. Am about 75% done building a chicken tractor for outside.