How often do you clean your brooder?

[Blooie]

What is DE?

DE is diatomacious earth. For the chickens we use food grade. It's helpful with pest control and odor control, among lots of other things, and available at most farm stores or online. I am one of those people who is most likely overdoing the cleaning routine. One day I strip it down to bare surface, spread newspapers, pretty good layer of shavings over that, and clean the roosts, the waterer and feeder. The next day I just scoop out the soiled litter, add fresh, clean the roosts, waterers and feeders, and call it good. I alternate - one day the whole 9 yards, the next day just the litter.

In my defense, I have a two and half year old granddaugher with Spina Bifida and some other, less severe, health problems. She is here almost every day. So if it comes down to a little extra work or her safety and well being, I'll over-clean any day!

 

[dermerchickens]

DE is diatomacious earth. For the chickens we use food grade. It's helpful with pest control and odor control, among lots of other things, and available at most farm stores or online. I am one of those people who is most likely overdoing the cleaning routine. One day I strip it down to bare surface, spread newspapers, pretty good layer of shavings over that, and clean the roosts, the waterer and feeder. The next day I just scoop out the soiled litter, add fresh, clean the roosts, waterers and feeders, and call it good. I alternate - one day the whole 9 yards, the next day just the litter.

In my defense, I have a two and half year old granddaugher with Spina Bifida and some other, less severe, health problems. She is here almost every day. So if it comes down to a little extra work or her safety and well being, I'll over-clean any day!

OH, okay.

 

[gander007]

Well with 15 or more chicks every day

with 5 to 10 every other day

1 to 5 about once a week


brooder 36"X34"X10"


This has worked for me for 20 years ....





Good heat & room







gander007

 

[amyjk]

We started out cleaning every day but slowed to every other when they were in the galvanized pan but now that they have been moved to a bigger environment I think once a week will do.

I have to agree with everything said about the ducklings though...the should be called YUCKS instead of ducks but they sre so stinkin' cute!

 

[KuroKitsune]

when my 11 chicks were in their smaller broooder(a ring made from 10 coroplast panels that are 12" across and 18" tall) i cleaned it out once a week and in the middle of the week i stir and move the shavings around.

now they are in a 4ftx4ftx4ft dog excersize pen sat on a tarp and the tarp comes up about a foot on three side and just about 6" on the front...used the trap to block drafts and keep shavings in the brooder...i dont know how often i'll have to clean it yet as they have only been in it 3-4 days so far so i'll just have to watch...but i'm guessing it'll last more then a week.


i also have 2 serama and 3 duccle in a little room in my basement the room is about 8ftx8ft and i put two big bags of shaving in there and i have yet needed to change it...it only smell when one of them lays a fresh pile...other then that it never a smell and they've been down in the roon since october

 

[grullablue]

I currently have 26 chicks and 3 ducklings in a 4'x4' brooder. I completely strip and replace bedding every other day. I finally came up with a way to keep the ducks from making such a mess with the water...or I'd be doing it every day! OMG ducks are messy!! The brooder expands to 4'x8', and will probably be giving them the full space soon. They are 4 weeks old.

 

[Vrcrow]

I was also wondering the same thing! We just got 5 baby Buffs yesterday and I was wondering how often I should clean the brooder. We are using a large tote with shavings on top of newspapers. It seems like once a week will do

 

[miachick]

I love this brooder! We already have an old pool that we can use but , will have to get the pvc pipe, what size of elbows did you use? did you get it all at lowes type store?

 

[Briza]

I have 20 chicks in a plastic kiddie pool with a 3ft radius or so. I'm having to clean every other day to keep the smell down so I'm considering putting some sand down under the shavings to help keep things dry. It's so humid here most of the time that the shavings never fully dry out. I had good luck using sand with other small animals. I used to keep hamsters and on sand they could go a year with the same sand whereas I was completely changing litter for them weekly to keep things clean. Chicks are bigger and messier but I'll be happy if they can go a week on sand at this point. Plus, sand can be put in an old pillowcase, rinsed with the hose, allowed to dry and then be reused.

 

[dunnmom]

10 almost 2 week old chicks. Brooder is about 2.5 ft. by 4 ft. wooden crate that my SO built. We've been using bermuda hay as bedding because that's what the feed store had at the time. Planning to upgrade that as soon as we're out because I keep reading that there are better bedding options. Standard feeder and waterer, and a small cookie sheet full of dirt from our yard for dust bathing inside. We clean out every 3 days so far, if for no other reason than to run ourselves out of hay. It does smell in there by the 3rd day, but we don't keep it in the house so it's no big deal. So far, no fly issues or strong ammonia odor.