How big should the brooder be?

[first time farmer]

I am ordering between 25 and 30 new birds (13 barred rocks 12 Nh reds and 2 to 5 ducks) How big should my brooder be. It will be in a heated garage with a heat lamp. I plan on building it out of plywood(i will be able to take it apart to store it) So how much floor space?

Liam
Cashin Poultry Farm

 

[RAWR]

find a 55 gallon rubbermaid tub and you should be ok
they're only $10 at the dollar store

 

[bison]

yep...very easy to clean, and when you don't need to use it as a brooder, you can find about a billion uses for it until you need it again

 

[Dar]

this mine that i used for 12 birds

its 4' long X 3' wide X 3' tall

I had lots of room that i could have put more chickens in there

 

[buckabucka]

I don't have any experience with raising chicks (that will happen in May

), but I have read that each chick needs about 6 square inches of space.

So if you built it 3 feet long and 30 inches wide, that ought to be enough space for 30 chicks. I also read that the brooder should be at least 18 inches deep.

Good luck with your new flock!

 

[RAWR]

Quote:
right now we're use'in the yubs for storage in the garage
but here soon we'll have to clean them out again

 

[gritsar]

How big should the brooder be? About five times bigger than you think. I used a kiddie wading pool for my 23 chicks. They outgrew it by week four.

 

[RAWR]

Quote:
how many did u have?

 

[Katy]

I'd make a seperate one for the ducklings. They make a tremendous wet mess which will not be good for your chicks.

 

[RAWR]

ya, ducks period are messy