How much room for 75-100 chicks?

[felidaet]

It is difficult to calculate how many heat lamps you will need. You need to set it up and test it BEFORE you have the chicks. When I setup a brooder last spring I was sure that one heat lamp would be enough. I setup the brooder, put in a couple of inches of wood shavings, and covered them with paper towels. Then I turned on the heat lamp for a few hours. The temperature was only 78 degrees.I covered part of the top of the brooder (away from the heat lamp with plywood. This got the temperature up a little but not enough. I decided then that I needed a second heat lamp. That did the trick.

It is important to setup the brooded just like it will be with the chicks. At first I tried testing it without the bedding material. The temperature was all over the place in different parts of the brooder (I used a big steel tub sometimes used for large livestock watering). The bedding really helped even out the temperature.

This year I am probably going to use a wood brooder instead of the steel tub for my new batch of chicks. I suspect I will only need one heat lamp in this setup but I won't know until I test it. I won't be getting chicks until early April and so I still have lots of time to set it up, test it, and make adjustments as needed.

 

[clkingtx]

felidaet : Thanks for your advice, I hadn't even thought about how much the bedding will insulate the brooder. I also hadn't thought about a partial cover helping hold the heat in. I plan to get all the stuff set up this weekend, or early next week, so I will have plenty of time to test it.

Thanks,
Carrie

 

[smith2]

Messy does not begin to describe my duck experience. If you are getting 25 be prepared for lots of playing in the water mess. Where ever you put them, I would keep that in mind. Ducks need space in a place where it is acceptable to make a mess.


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[clkingtx]

Ok, I will keep the mess in mind. I am still trying to figure out a totally separate place to house the ducks, I think it would be better for all of them, especially if ducks need to make a big mess. Maybe we can find a kiddie pool or something similar. It would probably have to be taller than a kiddie pool though. Oh, well. We will be going to buy the other supplies, so I will be looking for something like that.

Thanks!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Gritsar broods in a kiddie pool. Search the pics of your brooders thread and find hers. It's a neat set up for the chicks. Not sure that you could find a kiddie pool this time of year though.

 

[clkingtx]

Ok, I think I have it figured out(mostly). Probably the best way is to use the big kiddie yard, lined with cardboard, for the standard chickens and ducks(ducks getting 1/3 of area, divided from chicks). There will be 1 light for the ducks, and 1-2 for those chicks. I will make a separate cardboard brooder for the bantam chicks, probably a circle with a diameter of 3-4 feet, with 1-2 lights for them(alternately, I have a very large rubbermaid container they can go in, not sure which would be better). How long till chicks and ducks are feathered out, generally, and able to move outside? I have read that you start them in the brooder at 90 degrees, and decrease by 5 degrees a week, till they don't need supplemental heat.

Another question, when generally can the little ones fly? I think I remember that ducks can't really till they are nearly or completely grown, but what about the chicks? The cardboard liner is about knee high, and the play yard is about mid thigh level(2 1/2 feet?). At what age are they probably going to need a wire top on their brooder?

Thanks again,
Carrie