Brooding large numbers of Rocks! 100+!

[BooneHillbilly]

Need som ideas on how you would setup an outdoors brooder for around 100+ rocks. I would be starting them in the spring but the nights will be very cool.. Also I would like it to be as asy as possible to clean(of course). I thought of a teir setup of th like.. Pics would be great. Thanks in advance!

 

[petrelline]

Build a hover: http://www.plamondon.com/brooder.shtml

 

[jaku]

Define "outside." I regularly do batches of 75 in my garage in a brooder that is (if I remeber right,) 4x6, built with plywood, and has a hardware cloth floor. Doing it completely outside would take a bit of work, and I've never done it, but I know people do. I think some people built a plywood type box, complete with a lid, then run heat lamps to it. Good luck!

 

[Keenonf]

Quote:
I like that design. Its really simplistic and doesn't look that hard to build. I personally make the diminsions a little bigger so that the ones in the middle won't get squashed.

 

[uhuh555]

We are planning 500 chicks at time this year. Starting out with an 8’ X 8’ brooder on the floor of the garage, expanding it as needed. By using ½” x 2’ x 8’ sheets of plywood with 2” x 2” x 2’ in the corners for strength it can be easily expanded.

There will be 4 250w heat lamps hung 18” high down the center in a line allowing them two side areas for 4-5 gal waterers and 8-4’ feeders.

We use large glass marbles in the waterers to prevent drowning and they are very easy to wash-stones have many large pours that allow bacteria to hid in. A 6” tall wire ring slightly larger than the waterers will be placed over the waterers to keep the chicks from betting under the waterers when they are cleaned and refilled.

Two inches of pelleted sawdust made for bedding purposes will be used. They have only 4-8% water content and act like a sponge keeping area dry as opposed to regular sawdust or shavings that contain 60 to 75% water. The pellets fall apart as the moisture is absorbed. They last longer that any other sort of bedding and cost less when everything is said and done. The best thing about pelleted sawdust is it keeps the smell down!

The bedding will be stirred daily. When a crust developes on the top it is scooped off and added to compost bins for the garden and more pellets are added mixing well into what was left. The pellets are quite large and chicks do not eat them.

Within a week to 10 days the area will be expanded to 16’ x 16’. By the time they out grow this area they will be ready to go outside.

To use this outside wooden framed wire lids (4' x 8') can be incorporated to protect them from predators and covered with a simple tarp at nigh and during adverse weather. Above the heat lamps the lid can be a 4' x 8' piece of plywood.