Can Someone "Approve" My Brooder Plans?

[A_Fowl_Guy]

You’re right on the 1/2sqft per chick but that soon increases to 1sqft after two weeks. Feeder and waterer are up to you. I’d get some particle board and just build a brooder. I built mine 3ftx4fr and have two.

 

[AmyJane725]

They can jump up 20 inches after the first week? Oh dear...

I'll have to get some mesh to put over the top. All I need is to come home and find my room full of poop, lol.

The playpen comes enclosed I believe. There is mesh covering the top as far as I can tell.

But really, you're telling me to move them from the box to the playpen much sooner than 4 weeks old?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Oh yeah, by the time they're a week old they should be wild, active, running and digging and flapping and jumping. They get wild really fast. By the end of the first week they should be almost completely coordinated. Then it's just a matter of time until the feathers come in. Be the time the wing feathers are in at 3 weeks, they will be able to FLY, straight up, 4' easily.

 

[AmyJane725]

4 feet?! Ok, yeah, they're gonna have to go in the playpen. My garage is concrete, so I'll put some cardboard down under it to help keep the heat in. And then the shavings of course.

@Missbc, I'd love to see your footage. I bet it's super cute.

How often do you guys clean out your enclosures? I hear some people just keep adding shavings over the dirty ones, while others actually dump everything out and start fresh. I feel like the latter would be healthier?

 

[AmyJane725]

So, basically, box for two-ish weeks, then once they're starting to fly up, out to the playpen. Then, once they have all their feathers, out to the coop? I was originally thinking they'd be a month in the box, and two months in the play pen. Please give me the actual timeline since I clearly have no idea, lol.

And yes, I'll agree this whole thing is a bit spendy, but these are pet birds. I don't even care how well the eggs come out. I just want them to live safe happy lives. I want to spoil them. I figure keeping poop/shavings out of their food/water is the least I can do. And I've read that having the light on all the time is annoying/stressful to them (I can see why. I'd go nuts if it was never dark, even when I was trying to sleep), so I don't mind buying them a brooder plate. I figure it's more like a momma they can hide under. Probably feels more secure to them.

 

[christwodog]

As a general rule of thumb, if you think your space is big enough, increase it by at least 30-50%!
Brooder plates are great, get a big one if you can, they grow so fast. For a cover, you can use a piece of screen, like leftover from a screen porch and clip it to the sides with the large alligator clips. You will want to cover their box asap, it is amazing how soon they think they can fly and they give it a good effort at a few days old even.
The nipple waterer is great - you can make a little one with a gallon plastic pitcher. The rubbermaid ones have really strong lids and just drill in couple nipple waterers, you can buy a pack of 5 or 6 on amazon, not expensive. I like the horizontal nipple waterers personally. Then when they go outside, you can give them a 5 gallon waterer and keep the little one in there too, as an alternate water source. But I also have the standard chick waterer in the box for them, some won't try the nipple waterers until they're a week or more old.
I really like the puppy pee pads, some folks don't like them so you can decide for yourself. I really only use them under the brooder plate and food/water areas. Everywhere else I use paper towels, I know this isn't the most cost effective way but it works well for me.
Sounds like a good start, have fun with them!

 

[blackdog043]

Also to add, THANK YOU for putting your general location in your profile, so we know what your weather might be like. This helps us answer you better, without asking where are you located all the time.

That being said, you may have to keep your water from freezing in the winter, keep this in mind about your adult waterer. here's a link to how I made my 5 gallon heated waterer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/

 

[Aunt Angus]

I used vertical waterers in my brooder. No problems. I have them in my coop, too (for days I sleep in and don't let them out until after sun up - LOL). It dripped, so I put a lil silicone around it. Now it's leak free.

Of course, my girls prefer to drink from puddles rather than my fancy-shmancy waterer.

 

[blackdog043]

Of course, my girls prefer to drink from puddles rather than my fancy-shmancy waterer.

Haha, isn't that the truth!

 

[HopeSprings]

I love all of the advice! I'm new to chickens, or will be in May, with 17 chicks arriving the 3rd week! I plan to keep 9 to 11 of them and rehome the rest once I can identify who's who. (I ordered 8 pairs of females and they are throwing in a freebie.)
I have a big moving box in the basement that I'll cut in half lengthwise, when it's time for the big box.
I also just ordered the BV heating pad from eBay (free shipping!) and a dozen vertical water nozzles for a homemade 5 gallon bucket waterer for the coop.
Love the pvc elbow 5 gallon bucket feeder idea -- will be making a couple of those too!
Btw, I originally had decided to have my chicks delivered in April, but then decided to wait until after the tomato plants where in the garden so I'd have more time to baby the girls!