Ended Contest #2 Creative Brooder- 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[mlm Mike]

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Voting has begun! Choose the winner for the Brooder Contest!

To place your votes, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-brooder-contest-2014-easter-hatchalong/0_50​

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Contest #2 has begun for the​

5th Annual 2014 Easter Hatch-a-long!​

BYC 2014 Easter Hatch-a-long ​

Creative Brooder Contest!​

I've always have used card board boxes to brood my chicks, as the chicks grew I would tape a couple of boxes together.





When I began to hatch more and more, it became more difficult to keep enough boxes on hand. I would have to go to the store, the sales person would ask me if they could help me. I'd say yes, I need something that comes in a box that will hold about 2 dozen chicks.



Some boxes collected for 2014 hatching.


Please help me and show us your brooders!



Brooder Contest Rules: All BYC in Continental US, since it has a prize of hatching eggs. Creative brooder set ups.

Contest dates: Entries accepted March 4, 2014 - April 9,2014 12 midnight PT

Voting will open : TBD , Voting information will be announced in this thread, as well as, the main 2014 Easter Hatch-a-long thread.

Judging: BYC member voting poll for the Most Creative Brooder. We recommend those voting to consider: Creativity, reusable, ease of cleaning, ease of storage, (If more than 30 entries a judging panel may reduce number down to their top 30)

Prize : 10+ Chocolate Mottled Bantam Cochin hatching eggs from Chookschick! (Thanks Chookschick!)

If you have not joined in the Easter Hatch-a-long, join us here:​

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857062/the-5th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long​

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[Arielle]

Always need another brooder!!

 

[chicken pickin]

Ill start this contest off

I built a Dresser Brooder last year. It was an old clothes dresser(actually mine from when I was a child) After my DDs all used it and the drawers kept falling out DH was gonna burn it or trash it. I said no way! And I repurposed it.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Here's my brooder!

I built this at the end of December to prepare for the chicks I hatched for the NYD hatch-a-long...I wanted something I could use over and over again instead of cardboard boxes that only make it through 1 brooding. I used decking boards we had from the front porch we tore down last year. The screen came from my uncle's screened-in porch he redid, and the gray stuff is thick flexible plastic left over from a job DH did (he's an HVAC technician). The hinges for the top came from an old storm door. In other words, it is made from 100% recycled materials.

I made the 4 ft long, 3 ft wide, 3 ft high frame from decking boards cut into 3 pieces lenghtwise to make them thinner, and lighter. I can pick it up by myself to move it, and it fits through a standard doorway. I covered the back side, and the bottom, with the gray flexible plastic. The other 3 sides are all screening. The top has 2 layers of screen, one on top and one underneath because we have cats, and this ensured the cats wouldn't fall through when they jumped on top of it. It also cuts down on the amount of dust escaping the brooder. The back plastic has a small hole I cut in it to allow the cord for my ecoglow to fit through. I covered the 2 sides that were not up against a wall with cardboard, and cut a viewing window in each piece so that we could watch the chicks, and the chicks could see into the outside world. I did this because we have a St. Bernard in the house who could easily break through the screen. These cardboard sides are screwed in, so they are easy to take on and off (for when the dog is outside). The top is attached with two hinges, and I can prop it up with a piece of bamboo for cleaning. Cleaning is easy...I just scoop out the old shavings, vacuum the bottom and sides, wipe it down, and add more shavings.

 

[Gardeningmama]

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This one is split down the middle with a door that can be closed if necessary for multiple hatches. Each side has a ramp that leads to the "upstairs" with roosting bars. This brooder became necessary as my hatching addiction had chicks all over my house, lol.

 

[Gardeningmama]

This is the one in my "computer room" set on an island that my husband got for free at a remodel job he was doing. I pull up a chair, and drink coffee watching the chicks in the morning. The top is a hinged screened lid, and it has a removable divider for when it's necessary.

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[johnwesley11b]

 

[jbher]

Following this

 

[Happy Chooks]

Wow, some great entries already! Keep them coming!

 

[johnwesley11b]

BROODER NUMBER 2 NOT QUITE AS BIG AS ABOVE @ 4X4 , AND I DIDN'T COUNTERSINK HEAT LAMP BUT WE'LL SEE MAY HAVE TO YET, BOTH BUILT LAST WEEK.