Run, don't walk to the nearest grocery store or farmers market this weekend and tell them you will take the large cardboard container/box that they display watermelons in!! these are sturdy, large double-walled cardboard crates/boxes. the sides can support the hanging of a feeder over it with a pole laid over the top. I line mine with heavy black landscape fabric, duct-tapes along the sides (can't live w/o my tape!!), spread that over with flat newspaper,throw schedded office paper on that then top it off with wood shavings. as needed i throw on some food-safe DET and we are good to go. I use old window screens to keep the chicks from flying out and hang the red light heat lamp over that - they are happy and warm. I use these type boxes for up to 30 chicks, then as they get bigger, I split them up and use three boxes for 10 chicks each. when ready, they all go outside to the coop/yard. when not in use, the the boxes fold up for storage.
Great idea! I may have to try that. The 12" sides on the brooder now isn't going to hold these 70 chicks for long. However, it is so nice that it extends 9' long and 3' wide. They race around like crazy part of the time but I guess in about a week they will go over the sides since they are only 5 days old now.
I was just at the grocery store and they had one sitting there empty, they couldn't crush it so they did not know what to do with it. must be the time of year to get them.