BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[aart]

Built this one lastnight. Just need to trim the hardware cloth on the top and put the hinges on the lid. It is 2ftwx2fthx4ftL. Materials costs $35 from Menards. I also need to come up with a solution for the heat lamp. Don't plan on leaving it clipped to the lid like that but haven't had an ah ha moment on that setup yet. Still browsing this thread searching for the right setup for the heat lamp.

Take the guard off and set the lamp shade right on the hardware cloth......then get a dimmer extension cord so you can ramp down the heat.
If that's a real 'heat' bulb, it's probably way too hot.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

 

[debid]

When I used a box like that, I fastened the lamp guard to the hardware cloth with a quick link and aimed the bulb at one corner to heat just a small area. Mine was out on a porch and I sure didn't want a curious animal knocking the lamp off! I used 175w at first (sub-freezing ambient temps) and then 100w when they had some feathers and it was a little warmer out.

BTW, now I'm using a mama heating pad and never will I mess with lamps again.

 

[HennyB]

Here are my brooders.  They are 4 feet wide and 8 feet long and 2 feet deep.

Right now I have 13 pulletts each in two of them.

There is a chicken top wire for each of them.

Hi Bill! I'm going to build something very much like this tonight. What did you use for flooring?

 

[Suzanne Dunn]

My first brooder. My concern is that it is too small or maybe my feed dish and waterer are too big.??? I am picking up my chicks on Tuesday. Only getting 3 to start so maybe I have enough room. Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

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[Suzanne Dunn]

My first brooder. My concern is that it is too small or maybe my feed dish and waterer are too big.??? I am picking up my chicks on Tuesday. Only getting 3 to start so maybe I have enough room. Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

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[yolksonus]

Tis the season! Getting ready to put the brooder together. Last year in was in the house in one of the spare bedrooms- never again! The dust was aweful! This year it is going in the basement. We are using the same brooder as last year.

 

[aart]

My first brooder. My concern is that it is too small or maybe my feed dish and waterer are too big.??? I am picking up my chicks on Tuesday. Only getting 3 to start so maybe I have enough room. Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[/URL]

Welcome to BYC!

Assuming that lamp is about 12" across.
Dishes are pretty big for just 3 chicks and are taking up valuable space.
Space might be ok for 3 chicks for a week, maybe two.
But that heat lamp is going to cook them, assuming(again) that it is a heat lamp bulb of 150W or 250W...
...and may melt that plastic tote.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

 

[Suzanne Dunn]

Welcome to BYC!

Thanks for the information! I was thinking that the heat lamp bulb was going to be too much and thought of changing it to a less powerful bulb.

Assuming that lamp is about 12" across.
Dishes are pretty big for just 3 chicks and are taking up valuable space.
Space might be ok for 3 chicks for a week, maybe two.
But that heat lamp is going to cook them, assuming(again) that it is a heat lamp bulb of 150W or 250W...
...and may melt that plastic tote.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.



Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

 

[yolksonus]

That's a good size for the first few weeks but they will soon outgrow that size brooder. Maybe a bigger tote as they get bigger or a metal watering trowel (like they have the chicks in at tractor supply) would work when they get bigger.

 

[Suzanne Dunn]

That's a good size for the first few weeks but they will soon outgrow that size brooder. Maybe a bigger tote as they get bigger or a metal watering trowel (like they have the chicks in at tractor supply) would work when they get bigger.

Thanks, I am going to check out the different waterers and feeders now.