How does my brooder look?

[Charlotteak]

I'm picking up 14 chicks tomorrow. I've never used a brooder plate before, so I'm nervous and excited to try it. I turned an XL dog crate into a brooder. It's in my unheated garage, which stays between 45 and 60 degrees, depending on outside temp.

I have a layer of cardboard on the bottom, pine shavings, and then the paper towels. Food and water will be added tomorrow.

Anything I'm missing?

 

[DobieLover]

I'm picking up 14 chicks tomorrow. I've never used a brooder plate before, so I'm nervous and excited to try it. I turned an XL dog crate into a brooder. It's in my unheated garage, which stays between 45 and 60 degrees, depending on outside temp.

I have a layer of cardboard on the bottom, pine shavings, and then the paper towels. Food and water will be added tomorrow.

Anything I'm missing?

It is is great for about 6 to 8 chicks. Lot of ventilation and the brooder plate for a heat source. I prefer baby bottles because they keep the water clean, the bedding dryer and free up space.

You might need to cover the plate with an old towel and make a larger "cave" with the plate in the middle. Those chicks will not all fit under it. I did successfully brood 15 chicks under a plate that size by using an old towel. My brooder is built into my coop and I brooded those chicks when night time temps dropped into the low 20s and days were still in the 30s. The chicks thrived.

I would start looking for a larger brooder for the chicks now as that crate is going to be very crowded in about a week. If your coop is finished and ready, you can brood them in there.

 

[RobinsRoost74]

I like your set up! The only thing I would really change would be to replace the paper towels with pine or hemp shavings. Pine absorbs odor, but more importantly, keeps the chicks body heat and keeps them warm and snuggly. Congrats on your new babies, can't wait to see pictures!

 

[Charlotteak]

It is is great for about 6 to 8 chicks. Lot of ventilation and the brooder plate for a heat source. I prefer baby bottles because they keep the water clean, the bedding dryer and free up space.View attachment 4082400
You might need to cover the plate with an old towel and make a larger "cave" with the plate in the middle. Those chicks will not all fit under it. I did successfully brood 15 chicks under a plate that size by using an old towel. My brooder is built into my coop and I brooded those chicks when night time temps dropped into the low 20s and days were still in the 30s. The chicks thrived.

I would start looking for a larger brooder for the chicks now as that crate is going to be very crowded in about a week. If your coop is finished and ready, you can brood them in there.

It's a 12x12 brooder plate, it says up to 20 chicks will fit. Is that small for them?

 

[DobieLover]

It's a 12x12 brooder plate, it says up to 20 chicks will fit. Is that small for them?

I have the same size. It is too small for that many chicks. But, as I wrote above, you can make it work by using an old bath towel to make 'overflow' areas around the edges that will still be warm enough for the chicks.

 

[Charlotteak]

I like your set up! The only thing I would really change would be to replace the paper towels with pine or hemp shavings. Pine absorbs odor, but more importantly, keeps the chicks body heat and keeps them warm and snuggly. Congrats on your new babies, can't wait to see pictures!

Thank you! I think I overthought the paper towels. I just need them under the food for a few days, right? I have pine shavings underneath, so I can take them out.

 

[Charlotteak]

I have the same size. It is too small for that many chicks. But, as I wrote above, you can make it work by using an old bath towel to make 'overflow' areas around the edges that will still be warm enough for the chicks.

I will try that, thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

How many chicks a brooder plate will handle will depend on the size on the chicks as they grow, breed as some are smaller than others, and whether you have bantam or full-sized fowl. Your ambient temperatures and conditions have an effect too. Often the chicks don't really need the heat as long as many people think.

Some people seem to think that baby chicks need about as much room as adults from a very young age. I don't know the dimensions of your XL dog crate, maybe 4' x 2-1/2' (10 square feet). From my experiences that should handle 14 chicks until they are 5 weeks old, depending on breed of course. It helps if they are mostly pullets even at that young of an age.

I don't know what the right answer is for you, especially long term. There will be a time they outgrow the heat plate, if they still need it. They will outgrow that dog crate at some point. I think you are set up to receive those chicks and manage then for a while.

The reason some people put paper towels over shavings is to stop the chicks from eating the shavings so they can learn what their food is. I don't have that set-up and don't use paper towels but I've read the first 3 or 4 days is all you need them for that purpose.

Once you remove the paper towels they will scratch in the bedding and get it into the water. Into the food also. You might consider raising the waterer especially a few inches to make it harder for them to scratch bedding into it. Make sure the waterer is level, otherwise water will drain from it.

Good luck and welcome to the journey.

 

[Charlotteak]

How many chicks a brooder plate will handle will depend on the size on the chicks as they grow, breed as some are smaller than others, and whether you have bantam or full-sized fowl. Your ambient temperatures and conditions have an effect too. Often the chicks don't really need the heat as long as many people think.

Some people seem to think that baby chicks need about as much room as adults from a very young age. I don't know the dimensions of your XL dog crate, maybe 4' x 2-1/2' (10 square feet). From my experiences that should handle 14 chicks until they are 5 weeks old, depending on breed of course. It helps if they are mostly pullets even at that young of an age.

I don't know what the right answer is for you, especially long term. There will be a time they outgrow the heat plate, if they still need it. They will outgrow that dog crate at some point. I think you are set up to receive those chicks and manage then for a while.

The reason some people put paper towels over shavings is to stop the chicks from eating the shavings so they can learn what their food is. I don't have that set-up and don't use paper towels but I've read the first 3 or 4 days is all you need them for that purpose.

Once you remove the paper towels they will scratch in the bedding and get it into the water. Into the food also. You might consider raising the waterer especially a few inches to make it harder for them to scratch bedding into it. Make sure the waterer is level, otherwise water will drain from it.

Good luck and welcome to the journey.

Thank you! They'll all be pullets and not bantam. Americana, Olive Egger, Golden Comet, Wyandotte.

 

[Charlotteak]

I picked them up a few hours ago. They figured out the brooder plate, drinking, and eating. They seem to be staying warm enough. Here are a few pictures from the first hour in the brooder. It’s hard to get a view under the plate, but it looks like their backs are touching.