I need brooder ideas ....

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Nadine, why were you losing chicks before? Was it the shavings? Please let me know.

I agree with you as not that many BYC'ers have a need to build such large or permanent structures. I try to follow as many threads as I can as far as those of us who have large flocks but it's not many of us on here.
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I don't hatch out as many as you Nadine. Mine are more like in intervals. At any given time, I could have up to 15 broody hens that will hatch up to 12 chicks at a time and I need a large brooder with sections to be able to put all of them in. I am always looking for new ideas.

As far as your title, I agree with you, I really don't look or respond to that many threads that are entitled, "My New Chicken Tractor" "Playhouse turned in to Coop" "8 hen Hen house". I don't have a small flock, so no need for me to look at a small chicken house for any ideas, although I have peaked at a few and they are cute. I will wait for Big Flock experts (like you Nadine) to take those little ideas and turn them into BIG IDEAS.
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I'm loving all these ideas and suggestions. This was the question of the day for me and I was happy to see it had already been asked.... Now to run some of these fine ideas by H2B and see what he thinks is workable for our situation...

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kuntrygirl,
I am assuming it was the shavings. Though I always buy kiln dried shavings because we have a lot of Guinea Pigs in the house for showing and breeding and they can only have bedding that is dust free and odor free. However, when I raised chicks on shavings I had a loss of 1 or 2 a week or sometimes none but always lost a few from every batch, either hatched here or coming from a hatchery.

So I switched to using the nylon feed bags that I get my grain in from the mill down the road. They even give me lots of extras since I mention them on my website and send them plenty of business.
I no longer lose chicks.
I put them down on the floor around 4-5 weeks old and then they are in shavings but are old enough to not care to experiment eating them, are only close to any odors they give off while sleeping or dust bathing and thrive very well.

In case anyone thinks that it was because I did not clean them, I did. Because of the water containers forever getting shavings in them I had to clean them out every few days. My friend that is a vet said he thought most likely it was mold growing in the shavings from the moisture and food growing nasty bacteria and them picking at it. When older they are not likely to pick at it but when young they might.
I just know that I did not have any luck using it when they were young though I have friend's that disagree and some that do agree.

It took me 2 years to finally switch and it sure has made a difference for me. But I have a friend that only cleans her brooders every 2 weeks and just adds clean shavings to it every few days. She says she does not lose chicks but that certainly did not work for me.

Another reason I would like to have them on wire for a while before they go to the floor. But they will be 3-5 weeks old at that point since I still plan to have them in tubs for the first 2-3 weeks depending on breed.
 
Thanks! That is a terrific set up, although if I put my chicks out when they are small enough to go under there they would die. My Marans could not fit under those 4" feet after 5 weeks old, way too big but I suppose I can make some adjustments. And my bantam Cochins could not possibly survive in that big of an area even at 3 weeks old. However, it gives me great ideas!!!!

This is something I can definitely work with and rearrange to suit my needs.
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Oh, it may be graphic for some folks but we slaughter our own roos and put them in the freezer. Marans meat is the best meat ever! We are doing some ducks this year but only 12 since that would be all we would eat in a year.
If you raise birds, you have to have a way to move the roos out.
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If you Google "Poultry Brooders", and then go to "Images", you will see tons of different pics. Depending on your browser, you should be able to just hover over the pic and it will enlarge.

Be very careful about clicking on any of the pics - I almost killed my computer at work yesterday afternoon when I clicked on a virus-infected pic.
 
Ooh,I love making brooder plans! What are the dimensions of the room you are goign to be using? I would recommend having wall mounted (or on legs) brooder boxes along the upper length of the walls, and large floor pens along the lengths of the walls also, partially underneath the higher brooders. Maybe intead of slide out trays under the top pens, you just need a "ramp' directing the droppings down into another area? Hmmmmmm.....not sure. Might have to think on this one!
 
Amy, I tried sending you a huge group of brooder/hutch/cage/pen/tractor/etc pictures I have collected over the last few months. I sent it from two different emails as it didnt seem to be going through. Let me know if you get them!
 
Ohhhh, yeah!
I had looked into that set up when we first got into Guinea Pigs but piggies can't go on wire cages.
However, chickies of a certain age can so this may be a great set up if one had concrete underneath so they could hose down the whole lower poop floors.
I would love to do something like this because then you could even separate out breeds. However, when I clean water goes everywhere and I couldn't use it on my dirt floor. But if I have concrete poured.......hummmm....
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Thanks for that idea. I totally love it!
Now I really am heading out to Lowes! Gotta get lumber to make Nellabeans brooder cabinet next week.
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