Cardboard box brooders?

[catdaddy66]

augustmomx2, your brooder looks a lot like the one I made, down to the little doorway between sides. Mine has been very good but the moisture is beginning to soften the structure so the birds are going out to The Big House tommorow!! The word has come down from Olympus...meaning the wife said so

So the 5 weekers will be in the new diggs for at least 2-3 weeks to get used to the idea they have a new place to call home. The run is nearly done as well and they will be off and running in the next phase of their lives (pre-laying).

 

[flowerchicks]

I keep mine in a cardboard box which I line with paper towels for the first week or so, then with paper towels. When they are babies, they don't move around much, just eat and sleep and don't need much room, as they get bigger, they get a bigger box, and I tape the flaps up to make it tall so they can't get out. I also don't use heat lamps, I have a heating pad under the box. It has worked very well for me so far, they seem very comfy

I don't like using pine shavings because it gets in the water and makes a mess. I like the idea of sand as a base, though. I may try that when they get to be a couple weeks old.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I've never heard of using sand before. Do you use a kitty litter scoop to clean out the poo? I'll have to consider using sand!

 

[brendapa]

The sand is so clean! And they do thier little dust baths in it. And eat it, perfect peep grit. The kitty litter scoop doesn't work because thier poop is so small, I used a mesh/screen kitchen drain strainer from the dollar store. Works great to sift food & poop.
Since I went to pine, I miss the sand. I'm going to keep the chicks from my next hatch on it the whole time.

I took back the red heat lamp I bought as a spare and I'm going to get a 2nd heat emitter. My 2nd new favorite thing!

Brenda

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Does the sand reduce the dust that ends up everywhere when you have chicks indoors?