Brooder (ventilation question...)

[Dinos_rock]

I have seven chicks coming in a week or so. I have two old Rubbermaid Containers that I was going to cut the sides out of them and tape them together to make one huge brooder. And I was going to cut a square out of the top of the lid and cover it with a screen so I can put the lamp on it. It is going to go outside on the back porch.

So my question is: will the chicks get enough ventilation? Temps are always over 100f degrees right now (most of the time more than 110f

). I was thinking about cutting another side out and putting a screen over it, but I don't know if then they will get too cold at night. Maybe I could cut out the side and put screen over in during the day, then keep the piece I cut out and close it at night? Any ideas?

Edited to add: It is still about 90f degrees at night...

 

[go-veggie]

I use a big plastic tub and it works out great, but I slide it inside a wire dog crate and hang the lamp from the top of that down into the plastic tub. It's in our house, but it keeps everyone out...like kids, dog, cats, etc. I hope you figure something out that works really well for you and gives them everything they need.

 

[JennsPeeps]

We used this type of container & it worked fine. Even went back to its original purpose (holding tools & stuff) when the chickens moved into bigger digs.

We used a screen on the top of the brooder. We went through 2 because we upgraded to a bigger brooder as the girls grew. The first screen was like this:

We selected that so that we could re-purpose it after the chicks grew up.

The 2nd screen was one DBF bought at the Habitat Re-Store for a few bucks. Now it's in use protecting my garden from the girls, rather than protecting them from the world!

 

[Dinos_rock]

So do you think it would be okay for them? I don't want it to get too hot inside the brooder. I just don't know if I should cut a side out and put a screen over it, so they can have ventilation. The brooder is in the shade, but it is still pretty hot outside...

 

[absinor]

My chicks were always too hot or cold in the rubbermaid brooder. I think it helped when I made some air holes down low. I also slide a piece of trim through holes in the side for a low baby roost and they loved that.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I use big 55 gal. rubbermaid containers as brooders for in the house ...square cut around the lid and add the wire mesh...I drill vent holes with the hand held drill quarter size all around the sides of the container sometimes twice around...

 

[MissPrissy]

I use these in an upstairs bedroom for everything I hatch. They spend a week or two here before moving on to a bigger brooder.

I find the rubbermaid containers with a mesh top work the best for me. The chicks are on papertowels. The container is easy to clean and keep clean between hatches.

 

[ams3651]

i used this type of container, it was a big long one and still after 2 weeks it was getting small, after about a week i put a screen on top so they couldnt get out. I used a heat lamp and heat bulb which was very warm so i rigged it up so i could adjust they height. if its too warm you could drill holes in the sides for air flow also.

 

[fullhouse]

You probably don't need a heat lamp if it's 100-110 where you have the brooder. Is this an outside porch?

 

[Dinos_rock]

Yes its outside under a table. So maybe I should just use a lamp at night?