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

[Happy Chooks]

Not a criticism but a word of caution. Your light looks like it is precarious. Like a small bump would knock it over. I used one of these 3 years ago to create a warm zone for he barn cats on my front porch. Came out one morning to find that they had knocked it down and the hot bulb despite the safety cage (it had been knocked askew) had BURNED A 9 INCH HOLE through the inch thick boards on my porch. It is a wonder that the whole house didn't go up!

I agree. Secure heat lamps very well. I double secure mine - once with a chain and 2 zip ties just in case.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm loving all of your creativity! You have awesome brooders!

 

[pinusresinosa]

Hi-I'm new here and I just wondered what the greenery was in with the chicks and how old they are? I want to add some for mine.

This is mache. Today, the chicks are getting a tray of mizuna. I started growing fodder last year for babies in trays like this. You can use any edible green or any edible plant when it's small. I just use whatever I have lots of seed of, aside from things like eggplant and toomatoes- those don't make good fodder. Lettuces, arugula, endive etc are all good. I use my own made soil from compost in the yard and some other stuff that I also let the babies pick through, but if you aren't around to clean mess a lot or if you don't like to clean mess, that might not be a good idea for you. Ducklings make a giant mess out of this but they love it too. I bet goslings would as well, or just about anyone.

 

[pinusresinosa]

I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS IMAGE!! Smart Girl! Fire prevention is always first and foremost! very good use of something trashed!!

Yes, this was one of my biggest concerns.. well, that's always my biggest concern with brooders are the heat lamps. We do usually use a lot of zip ties, but this method my husband came up with for super fast detachment and reattachment in the future of the heat lamp clamps (which for some reason are always terrible at clamping on anything really!).

Thank you very much! Last year we used lots of rubbermaid tubs. This is much better.

 

[PeepsPonderosa]

Here is the fancy brooder with the incubators my husband built. Very proud of him! It came out so good! Plus, it looks fantastic in the house, and the four chicks seem to love it. I also like the poo tray under brooder.

HUSBAND EDIT: 2x4s recycled from our renovated guest bathroom, cedar pickets were from old fence sections laying behind my shop that were left here when we bought the place 2 years ago, plywood left over from shelving in shop. 1/4" wire from my roll that I build perch traps with. Had to buy latches, hinges light socket and nails $25? Oh and a case of miller lite!

The top incubator is an auto turn for Days 1-17 and the other incubator is a regular lay flat incubator for days 18-21. The brooder is on the small side but we're hatching 14 every Saturday so the previous weeks chicks will be moved out before the current weeks start hatching.

 

[Beekissed]

That is very, very cute and can double as a book or display shelf when not in use for chickens! Give your hubby a hug and a high five on that one...very talented man.

 

[sillycmoy]

So here is what I use. If its cold outside, under 70 at night they are inside my house up in my loft. If its over 70 at night and they are 3 weeks old they go outside in a shipping crate grow out pen. Once they hit 6 weeks old they go in the larger shipping crate made coop. Hopefully one of these days the larger shipping crate made coop will hold a broody and her chicks. So hurry up Silkies and decide to go Broody.


So this is the inside Brooder. Its an XX Large Dog crate with a Xlarge plastic dog crate bottom for way easier cleaning. In the summer they usually are only in here for 2 weeks.


Here is the mini shipping crate brooder for the chicks that are 2/3 weeks old till about 6 weeks unless I only have a few. There is a door that I use to close completely up at night, I can put a light in if I need too.



This is the larger shipping crate made coop. I use this for when they get about 6-8 weeks old, and they are fenced off from the rest of the flock, but the flock can walk around the fence so they all get used to each other. Then I remove the fence usually around 12 weeks, but they usually stay in this coop at night till about 4 months before I make them go in the main flock. I can also put lights in this if needed. Hoping one day to use this for a Broody Hen and chick.

 

[Southerlys]

 

[angelobutter]

I have a big battery brooder, so this is more of a "pre brooder" until they are big enough to join the other chicks.
It isn't amazing or anything but I can't not enter a contest lol
its cheap and ugly, but safe, effective and a breeze to clean.



the heat-light is secured by completely hooking it through the bars above, not just clamping it to the bars.


Breda chicks enjoying the warms




But I will confess- I got so sick of "creative brooders" that I got one of these big guys:

 

[Kids coop]

Here's my brooder with dimmer to control tempature.