Can Someone "Approve" My Brooder Plans?

[Farmgal101]

Welcome to BYC!were glad to have you here and answer any questions you may have!
The pen gets small fast chicks tend to grow faster then we realize!its crazy!pine shavings are great for the bottom I put plastic and then pine shavings making it easier to clean but you got to make sure its deep enough so they don't get to that plastic lair.paper towels will go by to fast you will have to keep changing them heat situation sounds good regular feed and water container meant for chicks not chickens bc there two big and the chicks could drowned just put the food and water on a brick make sure they can reach it and that should save you money when they do get older the nipple waters or cup waters work good id say bc chickens tend to get there water dirty I'm currently switching to the cup version of the nipple system.hope this helps and good luck!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

A cardboard box, 29.5 inches long x 17.5 inches wide x 20.5 inches deep. This comes out to 3.59 sqft. I have read that for the first month, chicks need 0.5 sqft each, so this means I could have 7 chicks?

- Pine shavings for bedding (is this the best, or would paper towels or something else be better? Just let me know)
- Brooder Plate for heat & I was also considering buying the optional "comfort feathers" (10x10") https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DLFD6GY/?tag=backy-20
- Port Feeder (9x9x9") https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D5L2T84/?tag=backy-20
- Nipple Waterer though I'm undecided between these two. I'd kind of like to just buy the 5 gallon (15x12.1x12.1") because then I could continue to use it after they're adults (save some money), but it's bigger, so it would take up more space in the box. I should probably just get the 2 gallon (9x9x9"). Let me know your thoughts.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016AFYT4Q/?tag=backy-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016AO5GAI/?tag=backy-20
-Roost (just for entertainment/comfort. Doesn't have to be this exact one. Just something similar.) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006F8DQCK/?tag=backy-20

How long do you anticipate having the chicks in the box? It's pretty small for 7 and chicks get pretty active pretty fast. If you can't source a bigger box, take apart several boxes and tape them together to make a bigger one.

Bedding: I've used paper towels and pine shavings. Either are fine IMO.

Brooder plate: I'd skip the "comfort feathers" on the brooding plate, looks like a gimmick to make humans feel better and I'd worry about chicks getting tangled in the feathers.

Feeder: that port feeder is kinda cool, never seen that before for chicks. That said, it's expensive! Are you planning on raising chicks frequently to get your money's worth from it? The cheap plastic circular type is what I have (see link under waterer for what I'm talking about). I don't even put on the mason jar attachment, I just refill it as needed.

Waterer: the ones you linked are horizontal nipples. Good for older chickens but chicks don't have the strength to use those reliably. Easiest option for chicks I think is still the mason jar style, like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ETU5KJ2/?tag=backy-20 Since you're limited on space in the brooder I wouldn't get anything larger than a quart capacity.

Roost: save money, grab some branches from your yard and let them use those instead.

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?

Clean it when it needs it - if it's wet, if it smells, if there's too much poop build up.

I got extremely lazy with my last batch of chicks (which were brooded outside in the run... actually, have you considered that? You can just brood inside the coop if you can run electricity out there and the chicks will acclimate to outside temps and day/night cycles naturally!) and instead of cleaning I simply moved the brooder every once in a while. My hens took care of "clean up" by kicking around the bedding from the vacant spot.

 

[Farmgal101]

How long do you anticipate having the chicks in the box? It's pretty small for 7 and chicks get pretty active pretty fast. If you can't source a bigger box, take apart several boxes and tape them together to make a bigger one.

Bedding: I've used paper towels and pine shavings. Either are fine IMO.

Brooder plate: I'd skip the "comfort feathers" on the brooding plate, looks like a gimmick to make humans feel better and I'd worry about chicks getting tangled in the feathers.

Feeder: that port feeder is kinda cool, never seen that before for chicks. That said, it's expensive! Are you planning on raising chicks frequently to get your money's worth from it? The cheap plastic circular type is what I have (see link under waterer for what I'm talking about). I don't even put on the mason jar attachment, I just refill it as needed.

Waterer: the ones you linked are horizontal nipples. Good for older chickens but chicks don't have the strength to use those reliably. Easiest option for chicks I think is still the mason jar style, like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ETU5KJ2/?tag=backy-20 Since you're limited on space in the brooder I wouldn't get anything larger than a quart capacity.

Roost: save money, grab some branches from your yard and let them use those instead.



Clean it when it needs it - if it's wet, if it smells, if there's too much poop build up.

I got extremely lazy with my last batch of chicks (which were brooded outside in the run... actually, have you considered that? You can just brood inside the coop if you can run electricity out there and the chicks will acclimate to outside temps and day/night cycles naturally!) and instead of cleaning I simply moved the brooder every once in a while. My hens took care of "clean up" by kicking around the bedding from the vacant spot.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Hiya
Nice to meet you!
Just remember to be flexible. Chicks grow fast. No such thing as too much space. Once they’re off the heat sorce all bets are off. Have fun.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I agree the box is small so it's a good box for one week, max. Then the play pen. Then out to the coop at 6-10 weeks depending on how well feathered out they are and your weather. If temps are above 50*F you should be safe and sound around 8 weeks. If temps are snowy I wait until they have some body mass at 10 weeks. If it's very warm (70+ which it probably will be because spring/summer) I will gladly put them out at 6 weeks before they even have all their feathers in.
If it's particularly bitter (close to freezing) I will keep chicks in until 12 weeks.

Prior to brooder plates one would usually aim to have the brooder 95*f and drop by 5*f a week. That would make it about 75*F at 6 weeks old, and chicks feather out faster with the brooder plate, so I am very confident putting a chicken out at even 5 weeks old if it's particularly warm and summery (80*F days, 60* nights).

Ultimately it's up to you when to pull them from the brooder, but generally you'll be able to tell by behavior. Are they not using the plate during the day? Only sleeping around it at night? They can go out now.

 

[AmyJane725]

Ok, good to know about the waterer.

I still want one that will keep the poop and shavings completely out of the water.
This one looks to be made specifically for chicks. What do you guys think?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0749XXBKK/?tag=backy-20

And no, I don't plan to be raising chicks constantly, so I know it seems dumb to spend $40 on a feeder that'll rarely be used...

 

[blackdog043]

Welcome to BYC, hopefully you can find some good information here, to help you decide what you want to use. There is no one right way of doing things, in raising chickens. There may be better ways that work for some and sometimes you have to make changes yourself, because it didn't work the way you thought it would. I like to do the DIY stuff, as you will see below.

For a bigger box, like a refrigerator or washer/dryer, try Lowes or an appliance store if you have one near you. You can start with the big box and put a divider in it to make it smaller for the first week. You could also put a couple boxes together. I'd pass on the playpen, boxes are cheap, when they are free.

I use pine shavings from day one in my brooder and haven't had any problems.

The 10 x 10 plate might be big enough, depending on how many chicks you get, but I'd go to the 12 x 12. I personally use the mama heat pad method. It's the same concept but you make it yourself. Another version is @aart 's version, Pseudo Heater Plate with a cooling rack, instead of wire, this is what I use also (12 x 24 heating pad.) This is without the towels covering the pad.


Waterer: I use a chick waterer for the first two weeks, then I introduce a horizontal nipple waterer. They are very easy to make, the nipples can be found on Amazon. Buy more than you need, so you have extras in case you need them. Here's a few that I have made.

Brooder waterer, Five gallon with stock tank de icer, 14 Gal in the run


I use a chick feeder and put a cardboard tray under it to catch billed out feed, so it doesn't end up in the bedding wasted. I will still use this for the first week, but I just made a smaller version of the DIY no waste feeder to put in my brooder at two weeks.

Chick feeder, 7 Gallon version, 3" elbows & 2 gallon version, 2" elbows

 

[blackdog043]

I still want one that will keep the poop and shavings completely out of the water.
This one looks to be made specifically for chicks. What do you guys think?

Vertical nipples tend to drip and will get your bedding wet, that's not a good thing. Check the reviews on Amazon with vertical nipples. There are a few people on here that like them, but not many, because they drip. If you use a chick waterer and put it up on a platform, wood or a brick, it will keep most of the shavings out. They don't usually poop in it until they can get on top of the bottle. At one or two weeks introduce the horizontal nipples. I'm gonna try one week this time, but I don't get my chicks until march 8th.

This was my first brooder set up. Red tray is fermented feed, next to reg chick feed, waterer on the other platform.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I’m currently using puppy pads in my brooder and love them since they are easy to change. I’ll switch to pine shavings in a couple weeks.

I personally use the mama heat pad method.

I second both the puppy pads and the mama heating pad!

Puppy pads work really well - no stink, no dust! Just use them and toss them. And the mama heating pad is my fave - less fire risk, no 24 hour light, no checking brooder temps. The chicks go under it or on it when cold, avoid it when they're hot. I used this with mine, and had ZERO pasty butt. Good choice!

Your set up looks good. Just get something to put over the top to keep the little peepers inside. I used to volunteer at a bird rescue facility, and we used window screen material held onto the sides with those clips you use to keep potato chips fresh. Worked like a dream on play pens!

FWIW, my set up was a small pet cage lined with puppy pads with a home made mama heating pad. I used what I had at home. Cost me $0. My coop was cheap, too, but my run? That's a different story.....

Good luck with your babies! You're gonna love 'em! And you've come to the right place to learn about everything chicken. I love BYC. I hope you do, too!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I still want one that will keep the poop and shavings completely out of the water.
This one looks to be made specifically for chicks. What do you guys think?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0749XXBKK/?tag=backy-20

Assuming it's made correctly (so opening holding the vertical nipple is tight) that could be a good option, I like that you can switch nipple types on it.

Vertical waterers can drip or leak but I used to use one and didn't have any issues with that. In an enclosed setting like a brooder it will get the litter wet, so maybe there's a way to put a drip catcher underneath, or you'll just need to clean out the litter in that area more frequently.