How often do you clean the brooder?

[crchickens]

When they were smaller and in a smaller brooder, I did it every day, fully. Now, they are in a big, 4 X 5 brooder, and I do it every 4 days or so. I am moving them to the coop very soon, and it is not soon enough. They are getting big.

I should add, I do water and feed every day. Also, I have a wonderful outside enclosure set up out of a dog x pen, with chicken wire covering the top. I use the step in door to put them in and out. They love being out there, so that is where they go while I clean. I have 12 chicks, so it takes me a bit of walking back and forth to put them all out there. Our weather has been wonderful, so they stay out there for a while, even after I am done cleaning.

 

[Oakieridge]

I clean ours twice a week, on Thursdays it gets a light cleaning. Just scoop out some of the dirty pine shavings with a dust pan and put in some new. On Sunday afternoon it gets a deap cleaning. I take the chicks and put them in a rubbermaid tub and remove all the pine shavings. I use Oxine in a sprayer and spray down the brooder box and then while that dries I take their waterer and feeder and wash those in hot soapy water. Once the brooder is dry I put in clean pine shavings and put everyone back in it to dirty it up for the next week. We have 4 brooders in the house and while it does get to smelling some by Thursday it isn't to bad and you can only smell it in the basement where they are.

 

[CitySilkies88]

When they were under a week old and I had my chicks on paper towels I had to change out the bedding daily. The paper towels around the waterer would get soaked right through to the bottom.

Now that they are two weeks old and on pine shavings I change out their bedding/clean the brooder every three days. Pretty much when it starts to get a little "ripe".

 

[poultryman17]

i do the same. Bare hands and all. Seems that the chicks are adjusting well to being put into another tub for a little bit. not nearly as much fuss out of them now.

 

[gapeach717]

Ack!!!! Mine is ripe right now!!!! Gag!!! My whole house smells like poop!! I am clearly gonna have to start cleaning every few days!!! Blarf!!!!

 

[TonySorrento]

I can't imagine brooding in the house! You people are nuts! Lol

As far as the paper towels over the pine shavings .... overkill, IMO ... I never did that .... just put them right on the shavings .... but I am a newbie.... what do I know

 

[gapeach717]

I have no other safe place to brood. I just cleaned them, much better!

 

[TonySorrento]

Lol ... I tried to brood in the basement" but wifely said, "Um, no." Lol

 

[gapeach717]

I live on a small plot of land in a cluster neighborhood, on a slab foundation. So...in the house was pretty much my only option if I was going to do this, lol, but as long as I keep up with the cleaning I am good....this week...not so much, lol.

 

[Albanese07]

Every 3-4 days unless the bedding gets wet from the water dish. Then whenever it's wet! One day I cleaned it twice!
The brooder I use is for 2 production reds. It's a 10 gallon tank so easy enough to dump pine shavings, hose out, dry and it's good to go.
The chicks go into a 5 gallon bucket while I clean. They chirp pretty loud but I do think they enjoy a clean brooder!