Discussion: Where do you put your brooder, and why?

[springvalley123]

I had put them in the bathtub until they're 7 days old, unless they've come straight from a store and I have a place to put them ready in the enclosure (I'd been moving around a lot the past few years). Now, I'm considering taking them straight from the post office into the coop, which is empty now, except for my heat lamp and baby monitor and outdoor temperature sensor. If I fail to get the temps reasonably stabilized by this Thursday, I'll move the heat lamp inside and fall back on the bathtub plan. It is a pain to clean up, but not bad at all if the babies are only in it for 5 days vs two weeks. Just a matter of the high afternoon temperatures approaching 100 F, and night time lows around 60-65 F, but I do have a decent timer on the brooder bulb so that's been helping me get the temps stabilized.

 

[BReeder!]

My boyfriend and I recently bought a home with an acre of land and I've been dying to get started on chickens for a year or two now. We're at odds on where to put them while in the brooder. I know there isn't a "wrong" place to put it as long as the chicks are comfortable and have the appropriate temperatures they need, but I am wondering where all of you place your brooders! Garage, porch, utility room? Living room? Lol.

Also, if anyone has any opinions on non-flighty, friendly, decent layers I am open to suggestions! I am strongly favoring Buff Orpingtons right now

I would prefer to brood in the coop. If there's harsh temperatures (very hot or cold) this can be difficult, but it keeps the dust in the already dusty zone. We have and currently are brooding in our garage. The garage is at least a place I don't care about keeping things very clean. This past Spring we brooded quail in our sun room, and I am still cleaning the mess. We brooded our turkeys and ducks in the coop and it was the best brooding experience we have had so far. In fact, the only reason the quail are in the garage is that I don't currently have space to keep them in the coop. I need to do a clean our and reorganize a lot of things in there since it also doubles as our shed (it was actually a shed first).

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I keep mine in the kitchen. My kitchen is HUGE and also a dinning room. They are obviously away from food. From there (at about a month or 2 depending on outside weather) they are then moved into the barn brooder that is much bigger and for things to explore until they realize that "this is home". From there they free range outside.

** I edited to add that I use Large cardboard boxes from Walmart.. the walls are soo tall that I get almost no mess and no chicks jumping out

I have a few Easter Eggers that are very friendly and a few that are always flighty. I have Rhode Island Reds who all love me and surprisingly White Leghorns (that are supposed to be nervous and flighty), but they are the most friendly of all my chickens. They stand on my feet, run up to me, half the time I don't get to even call them they have spotted me and are in route at break neck speeds. I'm not sure if its how they were raised or exposed but they are the most friendly chickens I have. If I have kids over they always let me pick them up for viewing. Keep in mind breed characteristics are not guaranteed clearly by my White Leghorns

 

[FlyWheel]

Brooder is a recycled aquarium, bedding is SweetPDZ MHP at the right end. I'm starting them with a conventional waterer, but I intend on making them a nipple setup in a few days. Wet feed in their bowl, more fermenting in the jar just to the left of the brooder.

I made the custom table.

 

[turtlebird]

Hoooo boy! Not in the house! haha I usually set up a ring of cardboard (draft blocker) right in the coop that they will be in. When they are ready to be out of the 'brooder', I put wood shavings around the rest of the coop and lift the cardboard and throw that on the burnpile! Voila! Didnt have to move the birds or the heat lamp or waterer or feeder. Pretty low stress for the birds.

 

[BReeder!]

I'll be using the laundry room, which is a re-purposed back porch (walled and windowed). Since there is no air-conditioning ducts it is easily the warmest room in the house, even when the dryer isn't running. It also gets a normal day night cycle thanks to the wall-of-windows along one side. I have a mama heating pad inside if they need the extra heat.

At my old house I used the two car garage, but my garage here is smaller and is currently being used as my workshop where I am in the process of building their coop, so I need the room and see no need to be exposing them to all the dust and noise. Especially as I doubt I'll be able to get them to wear dust masks.

They'll be making more dust than you...

 

[karenerwin]

The first few times I brooded in a spare bedroom. Ugh! What a mess!! Then I realizes that chicks are hardier than I was giving them credit for. Plus I read an article on BYC about brooding outside. So, now I set up my brooder in the coop outside. I am much happier with that set up! They are also done with the extra heat earlier and tend to feather out earlier. Plus integration is a breeze!

 

[FlyWheel]

They'll be making more dust than you...

Actually the only dust was when I was pouring the SweetPDZ into the brooder, the chicks make no dust at all! But then there was no dust from the PDZ in the poop trays in my old coop either (and there were ten of them). It's just when pouring it, I don't think chickens stir it up vigorously enough to raise any.

 

[BReeder!]

Actually the only dust was when I was pouring the SweetPDZ into the brooder, the chicks make no dust at all! But then there was no dust from the PDZ in the poop trays in my old coop either (and there were ten of them). It's just when pouring it, I don't think chickens stir it up vigorously enough to raise any.

We brooded 6 chicken in our garage in a 4'x2' brooder we sat on my workbench. Over 6 weeks, that entire corner of the garage was covered in a layer of dust and there were cobwebs on the walls. I was able to write my name in the layer of dust on the workbench. Most of the dust seemed to come from the birds themselves as they molt and grow endlessly. I'm sure some of it was do to the pine shavings we used as bedding as well.

 

[MROO]

Actually the only dust was when I was pouring the SweetPDZ into the brooder, the chicks make no dust at all! But then there was no dust from the PDZ in the poop trays in my old coop either (and there were ten of them). It's just when pouring it, I don't think chickens stir it up vigorously enough to raise any.

You're right that they don't generally stir up that much dust. I think the dust most people are talking about (and the one that causes the issues here t my house) is the dust they create during their frequent molts. THAT dust is a nuisance ... it's very fine and light as, well, a feather, 'cause that's what's coming off in teeny, tiny pieces!