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

[dolfi]

I am in the process of building my brooder. Can I still join in as long as I finish before deadline?

 

[mlm Mike]

I am in the process of building my brooder. Can I still join in as long as I finish before deadline?

Yes!

 

[lizanne]

Just redid this cabinet for my babies set to hatch this coming weekend. It has 2 levels if needed to house 2 different hatches or breeds. Or I can open up a hole in floor and put a ladder in for them to go from top to bottom for some exercise when they start growing and need more space before heading out to the coop.

This is gorgeous!! I just love it!! My only concern would be that the holes in the wiring on the door would be to big. Those little chicks can squeeze through tiny holes. Good job!!!

 

[ShayBaby]

Ooh. I can proudly join this one. For a year, I've just been using plastic storage tubs with large holes in the lids cut out and chicken wire or other small netting ziptied to cover the holes. It worked great, but I couldn't brood more than 5 or 6 without it getting cramped.

So when I ordered my 25 (27) pullet babies from Meyer last month, I had a brainstorming session with myself until I came up with this. We have two huge wooden toy boxes/shelves that my dad built for me and my sister when we were tiny tots some 25 years ago. My son has been using both in his little room for the last few years. So I spent a day emptying one out, moving it into the spare bedroom (NOT easy) and building a protective cover for it, since 5 cats and a bird-hungry dog would have access to it. Bear in mind, I am a puny mid-twenties gal with NO building skills after the crude doll table I built in my dad's workshop when I was 4. And I had only very basic items I happened to have lying around - some spare thin wood strips (I forget what they're called..like shims, but longer, and terribly warped), a small piece of extra fencing, a couple little hinges, a few screw hooks and a snap clip and thumb-screw clip for "locks", wood staples, a hand saw, a hammer, and duct tape.

Oh, and the screw hooks and piece of string to hold the lid open. A little blood, sweat, and cursing later, I had a oldnew brooder!

Pre-lid:

Post-lid:









I love it. *It's easy to clean, as I line the inside with plastic trash bags (or other plastic) and just pull it up and toss away when it's clean-time. Any shavings that snuck under the plastic are sucked up with the shopvac that lives in the same room. *The heatlamp was easy to hang pre-cover, but a little trickier post-cover. Fine once I got it sorted, though. Also, since the lamp had to hang closer post-lid, a regular household bulb provided ample heat. *I hung an analog thermometer with a command strip to gauge temperature. *The shelves are excellent for extra storage in the room, and holding extra chick supplies, pine shaving bag, etc etc. *The only thing I would change in hindsight is swapping out the fencing for hardware cloth or chicken wire, but I don't have extra of either right now. It keeps the dog and cats out, but I've caught the little nuggets making a break for it a couple times.

Oh, and of course, it wouldn't be complete without the randomly placed stars and car stickers.

 

[naightengale]

My quadraplex. ..

 

[realtreegirl]

put the plexy glass in to! way less mess new chicks love it!

 

[chicken pickin]

put the plexy glass in to! way less mess new chicks love it!

With plexi glass covering the fronts were you sure to add other ventilation areas?

 

[chicken pickin]

Here is my newest brooder (chick condo) DH built me a wall unit in the garage for my chicks or even broodies etc.

Brooder on top left and feed shelf on top right. Lower portion can be one big brooder or divided in half to make 2 separate sections.

 

[realtreegirl]

Just put a 3 inch high strip in to prevent them from kiccking the beeding out the wire

 

[Gardeningmama]

Just put a 3 inch high strip in to prevent them from kiccking the beeding out the wire