How to build a brooder?

[kizza07]

Hey everyone!

I just thought that since my eggies are on day 8, that I had better ask this question that has been nagging at me!

I don't know if my chickies will hatch, but if they do, I am going to need a brooder!

As those that have read my threads know, I am only allowed to work with what I have got...

So it has to be cheap and easy to run!

I understand that when they hatch, you leave them in the incubator for 24 hours???

After that, what does the brooder have to be like? Temperature? Humidity? Light?

Any information is appreciated as I have NO idea!!

Any plans and pics are also very much appreciated!

Thank you for any help you can give!

Kizza

 

[Chickemee]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233 I used a cat carrier as a brooder. I think there is a pic similar to it in the link.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i leave babies in till they are fluffed or dry i've never left them in that long if weeker chicks and they are not up walking i leave them in till they are walking around and more active usually a few hours.

mine are rubbermaid tubs with pine bedding with a heat lamp from the ceiling with a 60watt bulb. it can be moved up and down to adjust heat. after born heat needs to be 95 drop it dow 5 degres a week as they grow to 70 degrees or till same as outside temp.

it has a quart size jar w/ a chick waterer base in it and a feed dish or feeder. when younger marbles in the waterer(to keep from drownding and rocks or a brick under waterer to rase as they get older to keep shaveings out. also a thermometer when younger i use a digital to regulate temp. if they get to cold they will huddle if they get to hot they will scatter more.

brooder doesn't use humidity and i don't use a top till older when they start to try to get out. for that i use the lid that came with the storage bin cut the center out leave the whole outside frame. drill holes every so often place a bolt and nut to hold them together it's ventilated, can still place the heat lamp on top and they can't excape it also keeps min pins or weimaraniers out too,lol but they are used to the chooks now. oh and ya can lock them too so it keeps kid's out too and when they are adults i use them to trans port some of the chooks to shows also.

i don't have mine set up for peeps now as i have babies going on 3-4mths old but should be easy to figure out and is very cheap set up, easy to clean and lots of room for them to grow in for awhile. i just a few days ago had to seperate them so if ya use the bigger ones you can keep them in them longer.

you can also do the same set up with cardboard boxes it's how i started out,lol just make sure you have NO drafts. i keep my brooders on a small endstand for that and away from windows.
hope that helps,
silkie

 

[johnnyjack]

u can make a brooder outa almost anything cardboard box,plastic container.anything that will keep them warm and safe.and draft free.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

What could be cheaper than a cardboard box? The only expensive thing would be a heat lamp, but I've used desk lamps before and draped towls over the top of the box to keep the heat in. Watch, though, and make sure that the babies aren't getting too hot. If you can't get pine shavings you can use fallen leaves, hay, or grass cuttings.

 

[royal ty]

hi why not use one of the incubators should be ok for 1 or 2 chicks for a couple of weeks if you have a few you could use an ajustable table lamp the kind you can adjust for angle and hieght change the bulb to infrared 100watt should do you need to adjust the hieght so that the chicks are evenly spread about under it if they bunch together it is to cold and if they run into the corners it is to hot i find approx 14 Inches (Uk Imperial Measure dont know what system you use may need to convert) from floor to the bottem of the bulb about right but if you follow the above guidelines you should be able to sort it out Royal Ty

 

[BamaChicken]

Cardboard box with a 5 dollar clamp light works great. I am using a box my computer came in for some in the house right now. I have short lamp in there and with lid shut to hold heat. They are doing fine. There were to many for my plastic tub in my untility sink

 

[cstanley]

I used a large plastic kiddie pool that the kids ougrew last year. I put a few clamp lights that I had in 2 different spot and it was fine! and hay on the floor! Gotta have hay or pine shavings or something like that. Do not use newspaper, it will make it slick and ruin their little legs!

Cherie

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I guess that would be ok, but I wouldn't want the mess they will make in my incubators. A plastic tote is cheaper than having having to buy a new incubator because you can't get the mess cleaned up and disinfected.

 

[Corey NC]

My dad built me this one, it is awsome. It has no bottom and it sits on a cement floor and is super easy to clean out.

My dad is awsome, I mention that I'd like to build a new brooder and asked him if he had any ideas and when I got home that night he had built this for me.

I think it is about 4' x 5' and 2ft high. It is great I can't say anything better about it.