How I brood my chicks!

[BYCforlife]

I just last year started ordering day olds. The first thing I learned is that it's so easy to ad a couple more chicks to the order.

At first, I built a brooder as tall as it was wide. Now I realize the mistake I made. Both times I brooded chicks in it, one or 2 developed respiratory disease. This is because I was lacking ventilation, but I had drafts.

My second brooder was a shipping box, about 6 feet long and 1.5 feet tall. This one doesn't look as tidy, but it has good ventilation. There are cracks in between the wood, but I haven't had any problems with drafts. The left heat lamp is exactly 36 degrees Celsius, which is recommended for poults. The one on the right is around 29 or 30 degrees, which is a great area for the 25 chicks to get away from the warmer heat for the turkeys.

At least in the farm stores where I live, they sell 3 different types of heat lamp bulbs. The Little Giant bulbs are the brightest and warmest, as you see on the left lamp in the picture. The one on the right is a Satco brand bulb, which is helpful for a dimmer, but still warm area.

The white bulbs are not my first choice, as they are as bright as daylight. The red lamps are fairly bright, but not so much that it would affect when the chicks sleep. They are very quiet in the night, and many are still sleeping soundly when I come out at around 8:00.

 

[aart]

Both times I brooded chicks in it, one or 2 developed respiratory disease. This is because I was lacking ventilation, but I had drafts.

Respiratory disease is caused by bacteria, not drafts...and can be much worse in too hot and crowded brooders.


Actually that whole setup is too hot,
assuming you took the temps on the floor of the brooder....
....and will be too small very soon.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.


The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[kklowell]

The advice about watching their behavior is some of the best that is given on this site. And that's saying a lot because the people here are a wealth of information! If I never learn anything else during my time here, I'm very happy to know that when I go out to my chicks in the garage and they're walking around, eating, drinking, sleeping, in various parts of their enclosure, including a few under the lamp, they are comfortable and happy.

 

[Hensndoes]

I actually think that shipping container is pretty slick - although shallow. Is it necessary to have 2 lamps? I'm not sure it is. Aart gave good advice there. It will be small for 25 chicks soon.

Here's our setup-2 hr build. 2nd time we've had to brood as mama broody is on PTO. 1st time we built a similar box but a bit smaller and kept 6 chicks in it for a month. This time we will have a total of 16 (14 arrive in a few days) it measures 5 x 3 and the heat lamp is only there during the day and because they are a day old. I want them to leave that heat plate for food and water. This brooder is tall enough that I will add levels for more play area as they get to moving about. And I'm keeping them in the garage because it is cooler and they will need to go out to the main coop probably at 4 weeks or when fully feathered and winter won't go away.

 

[aart]

and the heat lamp is only there during the day and because they are a day old. I want them to leave that heat plate for food and water.

I do this too for the first few days, lamp(100W red reptile bulb on dimmer) is right over feed station that is adjacent to pseudo heating plate. Get to keep good eye on their eating/drinking/mobility.

 

[mamamage]

we had ours in a huge gaylord box at first..then we moved them into this when they were about a week and a half old and they love it! we use the ecoglo 20 heater!