Cat Box Brooder?

[crazygirl]

I've seen brooders advertised on some websites that are basically a kittylitter box with a light in it. I wanna just make my own, it looks pretty simple, but I just don't see how I'm supposed to regulate the temp if I cant move the light. A friend suggested that I change the bulb to a lower wattage every so often. Has anyone ever used a setup like this? Any suggestions?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

A cat box COULD work, but how many chicks could you possibly brood in there? The way I look at a brooder is, the bigger the better. I made a brooder from a 46 gallon rubbermade storage container. It worked perfectly. I could raise or lower the light to change the temp, and there is plenty of room to move away from the light if they need to. An old, good sized fish tank, baby swimming pool, the cardboard boxes appliances come in or even an old dog crate make great brooders. I'm thinking you'd have to make a bigger brooder as the chicks outgrow the cat box, so why not just start with the biggest brooder you can? Good luck......

 

[tweetysvoice]

Here is a brooder that I created out of an old chinchilla cage. You can find these pretty plentiful at pet stores or on Craig's list: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/brooder-from-a-small-animal-cage

My thought to your direct question would be how many chicks are you planning on keeping? You want it bigger than smaller so they have room to get away from the heat if need be. I'm only keeping four in mine.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I've seen brooders advertised on some websites that are basically a kittylitter box with a light in it. I wanna just make my own, it looks pretty simple, but I just don't see how I'm supposed to regulate the temp if I cant move the light. A friend suggested that I change the bulb to a lower wattage every so often. Has anyone ever used a setup like this? Any suggestions?

I bought couple of them few years ago. I like them I use them for first couple weeks unless I have a big hatch then just for couple days.

Easy to clean.