Chicks arriving tomorrow - question on the brooder

[Gwen]

I'm setting up the brooder today, which is an old dog crate, the plastic kind with the wire 'door' and wire windows on the sides. I'm planning to take the top off and use the bottom with a piece of wire over it.

When I put the shavings in, then the bottom isn't really flat enough for the waterer and feeder to sit in a way that seems stable enough to me. Any advice?

 

[KnitswithChickens]

I placed my water and food (both mason jar types) on a piece of cut up 2x4, but only when the chicks were tall enough to reach (that didn't take long!). Prior to that you just have to kind of wiggle them into position until they're relatively level.

 

[kipper]

Congratulations on your upcoming peeps!

I agree, a board under the feeder and waterer. That's what we've done, and it works well until they get big and rowdy!

 

[newchicksnducks]

For the couple of days, I just pushed the shavings aside and set the food/waterer on the bottom of the brooder. I also covered the shavings for the first few (2-3) days so they would not be pecking at the shavings. After that I placed the food and water up on wood or small bricks to keep out of shavings for sanitary reasons. By this time the chicks were able to hop up on the brick to eat and drink. By a week, I had already placed a mini-roost in with them (ground level at one end, raised 2 inches at the other) that they like to play on and under!

 

[cmom]

Congraulations on you new chicks. My new chicks should be coming tomorrow too. I agree with the other posts and would put a piece of wood in as level as possibe and put the feeder and waterer or just the waterer on it. Set the piece of wood on top of the shavings and try to get it as level as possible. If you put the waterer on a piece of wood it will probably stay cleaner. My babies like to scratch the shaving in their water. Now I start them in a wire brooder. The water stays clean but I still change it every day.

 

[Leah and peeps]

I would suggest using a type of platform so the food and water are stable and even.