Brooders

[Nicole01]

I like the plywood box idea. Esecially if your planning more chicks in the future. Good luck.

 

[colebarnhart]

Fred's Hens :

Plywood sheathing from a home building supply store. Two sheets of what we call OSB or oriented strand board, will only cost you $7 a sheet USD.

One sheet forms the bottom. 4' by 8'. The other sheet forms the sides. For $15 USD, you have a genuine, 32 square foot brooder. You'll need every square inch when they are 4 weeks old.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/69833_dscf3095.jpg

Agree!!! How much space do you have to put the brooder and how long are you planning on keeping them in the brooder? I went with 4 sheets of OSB and made a triple decker with the front doors made with plastic chicken netting.

 

[colebarnhart]

With 50 your gonna need a big one.

 

[Randhawa chickens]

Thanks guys for all the ideas it's really help ful and for the cardboard coral idea there
Could actually be a way to make it out of plywood and hinges so when your done
You can clean it and fold it up for next time

Tell me what you think

 

[chickens? not yet]

Quote:
I love duct tape!! lol

 

[theoldchick]

Quote:
Plywood and hinges would work great! I really liked the fact that the corral encouraged the chicks to move and run about. Since there were no corners the aggressive chicks couldn't trap the less aggressive chicks in a corner.

 

[Jgirouard]

Love it! In New England we call that Yankee ingenuity!

 

[Papa Brooder]

great ideas. I need to make a brooder. I feel inspired

 

[felidaet]

I also used two sheets of OSB to build by brooder. I used 2" x 4" in the corners and along the bottom edge (under the brooder, not inside). I then used screws to put it all together. It is going to be difficult to attach the walls to the floor of the brooder without something like 2" x 4" of 2' x 2" to screw or nail into. I originally built it two years ago. When I am done with it I take out all of the screws and lean the pieces of wood against a wall in the garage. I just pulled it out from it's storage place and put it together this morning for this years flock of chicks that I will be picking up on Friday.

 

[cloaking-chickens]

My brooder is a 6’x12’ enclosed trailer. The photo is a couple of weeks old, my chicks (28) are 9 weeks old and it’s been a perfect brooder. The cinder blocks are wrapped in chicken wire and enclose a space heater and thermostat. I don’t use the space heater anymore and the thermostat kicks on the third 250watt bulb if the temp drops below 60 degrees. During the day I drop the back door, the chick’s play in the yard from dawn to dusk, and then I close the door at night. Once a week I sweep out the shavings, wash the floor, walls, and replace the shavings. I’ve never seen a trailer brooder before, so I got lucky to have a trailer, and to come up with the idea. Hope this helps