Howdy,
I worked on a brooder box the other night.
The spaces are adjustable. The brooder is set up as a 4x4 box, with two partitions. I can decrease the size of the pens, separate different arrivals (I'll have three separate sets, but they'll only be a week apart total) and then take out all of the dividers and give the chicks run of the entire box once all are up and running. I'll build a better light stand that will be permanently attached to the side of the box once I figure out where they like the heat and food, and how high I need to have the lamp. They will be in the shop office, which is heated already, so the heat adjustment should be pretty easy.
Picked up my first chicks Wednesday, Barred Rocks and Austrolops, and I picked up a mix of Rhode Island Reds and Gold Sex-Links last Thursday. In addition, I got a few Cornish crosses for a try at raising some meat birds.
Cedar the yellow lab (on a leash at the time) was interested in meeting his new family members.
Having 3 sources of heat in the office in the shop makes temp control a breeze in the brooder. A wall heater, a space heater, and then the IR lamp. The chicks are spread out in all areas of the brooder, with the BR's and AL's in the 3x2 section, and the others in the 4x2 section, so the heat is working well. I use the 1x2 section for inspections (paste butt, etc), and as a place to keep the chicks while I clean their pens. The BR's and the AL get along with each other, but they will pick on any other birds, eve the much larger Cornish Cross.
With 20 birds total (16 layers and 4 meat birds) I was expecting some losses, as I planned on getting to a flock of 12 layers. No losses to date, and I check on them multiple times daily. They seem content (low volume quiet chirping). I make sure I per the laying chicks for 20 seconds or so to acclimate them to humans, but not doing that with the Cornish Cross.
Andy
I worked on a brooder box the other night.
The spaces are adjustable. The brooder is set up as a 4x4 box, with two partitions. I can decrease the size of the pens, separate different arrivals (I'll have three separate sets, but they'll only be a week apart total) and then take out all of the dividers and give the chicks run of the entire box once all are up and running. I'll build a better light stand that will be permanently attached to the side of the box once I figure out where they like the heat and food, and how high I need to have the lamp. They will be in the shop office, which is heated already, so the heat adjustment should be pretty easy.
Picked up my first chicks Wednesday, Barred Rocks and Austrolops, and I picked up a mix of Rhode Island Reds and Gold Sex-Links last Thursday. In addition, I got a few Cornish crosses for a try at raising some meat birds.
Cedar the yellow lab (on a leash at the time) was interested in meeting his new family members.
Having 3 sources of heat in the office in the shop makes temp control a breeze in the brooder. A wall heater, a space heater, and then the IR lamp. The chicks are spread out in all areas of the brooder, with the BR's and AL's in the 3x2 section, and the others in the 4x2 section, so the heat is working well. I use the 1x2 section for inspections (paste butt, etc), and as a place to keep the chicks while I clean their pens. The BR's and the AL get along with each other, but they will pick on any other birds, eve the much larger Cornish Cross.
With 20 birds total (16 layers and 4 meat birds) I was expecting some losses, as I planned on getting to a flock of 12 layers. No losses to date, and I check on them multiple times daily. They seem content (low volume quiet chirping). I make sure I per the laying chicks for 20 seconds or so to acclimate them to humans, but not doing that with the Cornish Cross.
Andy
