Dirt in the Brooder

[Kiki]

You should post some of your dirt box pics, Kiks!

I'm looking for some right now.

 

[Conan]

I haven't yet seen a tote large enough for 20 three week olds.

Me neither. I'm wondering if maybe the word tote is interchangeable for the metal troughs seen at the feed stores. Some of those are good sized.

 

[Kiki]

It's going to take me a week to scroll all the way back to baby pictures.
This should give you an idea.

 

[Conan]

It's going to take me a week to scroll all the way back to baby pictures.
This should give you an idea.View attachment 1954935View attachment 1954936 View attachment 1954937

Yep. Box. Dirt. Birds. They seem to really enjoy the dirt.
Still think the number of chicks might be a problem, though.

 

[EggWalrus]

God made dirt,
And dirt won't hurt!

Put those babies on the ground (or in a dirt bottom brooder). All my chicks get brooded on dirt. I wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[CindyinSD]

Believe me... a large galvanized water trough is also too small for 20 3 wk chicken chicks.

I think the dirt idea has merit. You’ll need ample space if you decide to use it exclusively, though. I’d also give the babies part deep bedding. They do like dust bathing, but they also love scratching through hay, grass, straw, active compost, etc. if you don’t like pine shavings, ask at your local feed store about spoiled hay. Bag up your (or others’) fallen leaves or aged pine litter. Any carbon source will help absorb urea from their poop. It isn’t normal microbes that are harmful... it’s excessive urea and its fumes. Dirt can’t absorb that as well as carbon can. Plus they’ll end up with “poop booties.” Not nice for them or for you.

That said, no matter if you pour in the carbon with heedless abandon, an over-crowded brooder will still smell of ammonia and will be dangerous to your chicks’ respiratory systems. You could literally brood them on two ft deep bedding and still have problems with ammonia fumes.

In a natural setting, mama hen will range her babies over all sorts of terrain... grass, compost, leaf litter, boggy areas and even bare dirt patches (most likely created by the flock for their dust bathing pleasure.) I personally would not keep them on bare dirt, at least not exclusively. There are plenty of alternatives if you’re not fond of pine shavings or simply find them ridiculously expensive for what you get in the bag.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

To answer everyone's question about space, I do start out with 20 in a 55-gallon tote, which in the weeks afterward dwindles down to about 5 chicks per tote as they move outside, are sold, and just get too crowded. I probably should have specified that in the beginning to avoid the criticism, but it didn't come to mind as important to the issue, but you all brought up perfectly valid points, so thank you.

 

[Kiki]

To answer everyone's question about space, I do start out with 20 in a 55-gallon tote, which in the weeks afterward dwindles down to about 5 chicks per tote as they move outside, are sold, and just get too crowded. I probably should have specified that in the beginning to avoid the criticism, but it didn't come to mind as important to the issue, but you all brought up perfectly valid points, so thank you.

20 in a 55 gallon tote is probably only good for the first day or two.
That really not enough room for the little poopers.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

20 in a 55 gallon tote is probably only good for the first day or two.
That really not enough room for the little poopers.

I know, I give them a little time to start developing and then separate them into "types" afterward since I hatch from a mixed flock.

 

[Pork Pie]

I always used dirt in my brooder and it worked perfectly. My brooder was approx 80 square feet so the chicks had lots of space. I used a mister spray bottle to reduce fine dust but that was about it.