First time doing meat birds!! Questions!

[kimmom]

Our 50 chicks arrive Saturday so we have a few days to get ready!! Thinking about building the 4x8 or 4x4 "tables" that are close to ground that they can go under for heat etc.. Will that work at first for them if you block the sides off so they have to be under the lights.. Is there any good plans on here for cheap to build brooder for the first few weeks. We will be putting them in movable hoops on pasture once they are big enough. We have a huge greenhouse the starter brooder could go in if that would work?? Sorry for all the newbie questions! We have done layers for 2.5 years

 

[PotterWatch]

That kind of brooder heater should work great. Don't force them to be under it though. Just like other chicks, meaties will go under or come out from under as their body temperature dictates. They can be brooded just like layer chicks, you don't have to do anything different except that they won't need extra heat for as long as layers. Our brooders are basically 4x8 boxes. Easy to make though if you aren't brooding a fair number of birds each year, they probably wouldn't be worth the effort to make them and space they take up. You will need about that much space to brood 50 meaties for three weeks though.

 

[kimmom]

Thanks so much!! It looks great, how many lights hang in there? Do you cover the mesh area so its draft free? Any plans online for measurements etc

 

[PotterWatch]

We only cover the wire on top if it is really cold out. This time of year, we never cover it. We can separate it into two spaces to brood two batches of chicks if need be. That has come in handy a few times. We clamp one light in each side. No plans as my husband just threw them together. It is basically a 4x8 piece of plywood on the bottom and the sides are two feet tall.