Hubby wonders if I'm cleaning the brooder too often

[NightingaleJen]

He claims I work too hard...

Our twelve, week old on Monday chicks have a brooder in the coop that is about 8x3 with an elevated feeder and two elevated waterers. Every other day I round the chicks up into a towel-lined box, remove all the (large pine shaving) bedding to the compost pile or just toss it into the run area, scrub everything down with soapy vinegar, wipe it all dry, then reassemble the brooder before adding new shavings, putting everything back inside, and putting the chickies back in.

Every day, I wash and refill the waterers, remove and replace any wet bedding beneath the nipple waterer, remove/replace any noticably dirty bedding throughout the day, and wipe away droppings on the frame edges of the brooder (it is built into the coop; still not sure if deeper litter is okay at this point).

Thoughts? We are both curious.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Do what makes you happy, but I agree with your husband.

 

[thelittlegraybarn]

A small brooder sure. That one's huge, you could stretch it out a little whilepq

 

[3KillerBs]

scrub everything down with soapy vinegar,

It's not usually recommended to use wet cleaning methods in a chicken facility. As a general rule, the drier the better when it comes to chickens.

 

[NightingaleJen]

It's not usually recommended to use wet cleaning methods in a chicken facility. As a general rule, the drier the better when it comes to chickens.

Oh, I know! After that I wipe it all dry with an old towel.

 

[Artemis_MA]

For the size of that brooder, and the small number of chicks, I think you are going to burn out fast. Especially the chicks being that young.

 

[3KillerBs]

Oh, I know! After that I wipe it all dry with an old towel.

Wiping dry just removes surface moisture. The dampness stays in the wood and increases the humidity.

 

[Tre3hugger]

You are doing way too much. I do almost the opposite, actively throwing dirt clods in my brooder to give them exposure to microbes and dust baths and I just add fresh bedding on top of the soiled bedding a few times a week. I will do this for the whole brood, 4 weeks without doing a litter change! After they get to be about 2 weeks the round up is just stressful for them and me. Soesn't seem worth it. I also use pine shavings and brood 12 or less chicks in a 2x3 outdoor brooder. The brooder has 3, 2x3 sections, 2 for birds one for supplies. In between batches I replace all the shavings and give feeder and waterer a good scrub. I have tiles under my brooder plate and wire as the floor of the rest. My chicks seem happy and healthy adter raising 2 batches of layers and 1 batch of meat birds this way.

These chicks are cornish x.

 

[LaFleche]

This seems way over the top to me. Just daily cleaning of the area under the heating plate would suffice. Of course the water should be refreshed daily and cleaned while doing so.

 

[ladybrasa]

I just cleaned my brooder out after one week. But I also have it in the house. Definitely refresh/clean out the water daily and catch them up for snuggles, but stretch out the cleaning. Or maybe just “spot clean” as needed (like wet spots).

BTW, something that I read and might be helpful - Glade press and Seal plastic wrap stuff. I have that on my heat plate as they are now sitting and pooping on top of it. But with the press n seal stuff down you just pull it up and wa-la clean top!