Brooder- What Sized Rubber Tub?

[Glenmar]

I have one of those too. I am hatching 14 chicks this weekend. How long will they fit in there.
Do I need to put paper at first on the floor until they get used to eating, or can I start off with pine shavings.
I read somewhere that they would try to eat the pine shavings.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
I fill the brooder bottom with about 2 inches of pine shavings, then I place that rubberized shelf lining over it for the first two days. THEN I take it out and put just a wide strip of it under the waterer and feeder which, by then, they know where to find food and water, and it keeps them from kicking shavings right next to them into the waterer and feeder. Some still gets into it, but nowhere near the amount if it wasn't there.

Newspaper is not good because it's slippery and the rubberized shelf lining gives them something to walk on while they're still unsteady.

 

[Glenmar]

Quote:
I fill the brooder bottom with about 2 inches of pine shavings, then I place that rubberized shelf lining over it for the first two days. THEN I take it out and put just a wide strip of it under the waterer and feeder which, by then, they know where to find food and water, and it keeps them from kicking shavings right next to them into the waterer and feeder. Some still gets into it, but nowhere near the amount if it wasn't there.

Newspaper is not good because it's slippery and the rubberized shelf lining gives them something to walk on while they're still unsteady.

Thanks. How long will it take 14 to out grow that?

 

[Eggcessive]

I started my almost 3 week olds (26 chicks) in a 100 gallon stock tank, but the rubbermaid one is narrow on the bottom, so they outgrew that by 2 weeks. I built them a much larger brooder with 4 sheets of 2 ft by 4 ft thin plywood screwed together with 2x2's cut to 2 ft length. It's 4x4wide and 2ft highand cost me $40. The plywood is precut at Lowes or Home Depot. I put a tarp, towel, more pastic sheeting, and pine shavings in the bottom. They have plenty of room now and will probably be good until 4-5 weeks. I do put a sreened cover over most it sice they can on occasion fly to the top to perch.

 

[Glenmar]

So maybe 5-6 weeks? This is my first time, and I have no idea how fast they grow.