BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[karanleaf]

Thanks Kitty I have horses I was just putting that one in as a funny Haha

We live in a farming area It is a good Idea

I love having those Handy DH's around Bodyflight they are pretty good to help put our plans in action.. Even better when they get a good idea of their own.

 

[absinor]

Newbie Brooder!

We found this heavy and clean crate in an industrial park so we brought it home, lined it with cardboard (to cover splinters and nails), made some big air holes for ventilation, installed 2 roosts ( a low one and a high one), attached a thermometer, built a top and a rack for the light.

There are 5 chicks in there and they are living the dream. They're doing really well

I feel much better than when we had them in a rubbermaid for a week. That just wasn't adequate...and not big enough for too long.

So now I'm looking forward to getting them out of my living room. Hopefully outside for day trips next week.

Anyway, here's the brooder.

 

[PotterWatch]

What a great find!

 

[tinaack]

Can anyone tell what the temp has to be inside a brooder.
thanks tina

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
Start at 95 degrees in one spot in the brooder. I say 1 spot because if it's too warm for them or some, they will move away from the light. If your brooder is roomy you'll have less to worry about

reduce the temperature by 5 degrees per week until they have all their feathers.

 

[ccrecelius]

Quote:
I am totally new to this, but the instructions I got from the hatchery said:

90 degrees the first week and lower it 5 degrees each week. You need to pay attention to how the chicks are acting. If they are gathering around the light, they are cold and if they are trying to stay away from the light, it is too hot.

If they are running around having a great time, you've got it just right!

 

[peepy_peep]

here's mine... I made it all out of scrap wood and chicken wire left over from the coop. At first I had them in a small plastic recycling bin, but it was a little cramped since my makeshift water-er takes up a lot of room.

The floor is chicken wire, with a layer of newspaper and a layer of screen on top of the newspaper (so their little feet have something to grip). Then I toss in a couple handfuls of hay for them to scratch in. When I clean it, I can put it outside and the grass sticks up through the chicken wire, so they can play in it!

It's hard to see them in this picture, but there are two baby peeps behind the paper. I had to put it there because they've bonded with me so well that if I go away they try to force themselves through the holes in the chicken wire! They're too big to fit, but it was sad watching them try, so I added the paper until they calm down a little bit.

edit: fixed photo

 

[ausamerican33]

Here's our homemade brooder, made from 2 dog crates pushed together. I used an old gerbil play yard in one of the crates, so they can see out, but not escape. We have 25 chicks in there - 2 weeks old at the moment. I'm thinking of adding a third crate to give them a bit more room - they love to run and get liftoff.

I'm going to try to post pictures, but this is my first time....

 

[Hooterville]

Very cool and I loved the video!

I'm getting 25 tomorrow from Cackle--I hope they like their brooder as much as yours seem to be enjoying theirs!

 

[SterlingAcres]

DH refused to build another brooder this time, he wanted reusable tubs to store things in for inside the barn.

So, we have our chicks in 35 gallon tubs from WallyWorld. They work fine.