How many chicks in a brooder?

[PotterWatch]

My husband just built a brooder that is 4 x 8. We plan on using deep litter method. How many meaties do you think I could raise to 2 or 3 weeks in that space?

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

I have 50 Freedom Rangers in a space just that size. They're a week and a half old. They seem to be doing well. I have to stir the shavings around daily though as they are very poopy! I'm hoping to move them to a coop where they can start getting out to free range in the next couple of weeks.

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

Mine is the same size and I have 70 2 week olds in it. I usually do 100 at a time but ended up with with this odd batch.
I have a removable floor and a divider to make it 2 4x4 sections. I keep mine in the house the first few days and then move them to the brooder by day 5. I keep them in the 4x4 section till about 10 days then pull the divider. If the weather cooperates the I pull the floor out at 14 days and let them in the ground till 21 day, then they go to the tractors.

I have had times were the weather is so cold that I had to keep then in there w/ the floor till they are 21 days and it is an issue with the amount of poo the make. It will cap in areas around the feeder and waterer, this portion needs removed daily and fresh littler added.

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

I had 160 in an 8x8 and everything was cool. At 2.5 weeks they were starting to get crowded though.

 

[PotterWatch]

Thanks for the replies. We can put up a divider for part of the time so that should work fine. I'll post pictures when it is all finished. Should be a nice brooder that will last us a while. It has two panels on top that open and they both have plexiglass in them so the chicks will get natural light. It doesn't have a removable bottom but we aren't planning on having it out on grass. Our weather here is warm enough in the summer that I imagine the chicks will be outside in a tractor by about 2wks. We might scale back the numbers a little in cooler weather when they will be in there longer.

 

[Dogfish]

67 five day olds in a 4x4 brooder, but 25 will be leaving shortly. They'll be fine in there for another two weeks when I move them outside.