I lifted a design off a thread here of a brooder and modified it a bit. However, I think it might be TOO big? Does that even matter if it's warm enough? I'm in love with it! And even better, after my husband scoffing after I said I could build it myself, I DID! I'm getting six chicks in a little over a week, and the brooder is 4 foot wide x 4 long and 3 feet high. Handle to lift the top: Roost bar! Access door:
Can't be too big, unless it's big enough to get lost in. Hang a light for heat & they'll find it if they get cold.
Nice. Very nice. Put a draft guard on it so the wind does not blow on them (I hung a sheet of plastic about 12" to 18" high all around mine), heat one corner up to the recommended temperature range and let the rest be cooler, give them food and water and enjoy. Mine was 3' x 5'. I had it the recommended temperature (90*F) in one spot. The far corner was 70*F. They pretty much hung under the light the first couple of days but after that they were running all over the brooder.
They get big SO FAST!!!!! They will look tiny when they first go in. Mine are three weeks old today and they are running into each other trying to fly and run and exercise. Wish mine were that big!
That might just be big enough for your six feathered friends, a lot of people start out really small and have to keep enlarging. They do grow really fast, twenty day olds may fit in a shoe box but at 10 weeks not even one will.
This looks perfect! I agree with another poster about protecting from drafts the first few weeks, but this is great because it will be easy to get in there for cleaning and feeding and watering, and also if you need to grab them to move them. And with that little door? It will be so much easter to move them to the coop, or allow them a bit of free-ranging in the meantime. I really just think your is great! Oh, and this can double as an isolation pen if you happen to get a sick chicken or some other event where you would need to separate a chicken. So it'll be of use to you for a good long while.
Thanks!!! Originally, all the sides were going to have netting and then I stopped and said to DH, 'I have to modify this. I'm too short to reach into this!' So we did that access door. If all else fails, I can quickly shorten it a bit.
Big is better! They need room to be able to get away from the heat at this time of year. They should have room to roam from room temp to 95 degrees or so, depending on their age. The roost bar is not necessary for peeps but would be handy if you use it as an isolation coop later.
Quote:I read somewhere on here to have one available so they can learn to roost. It's not big and towards the back, so I figure no harm, no foul. (fowl? haha)
