Quote:
Well, Janelle, you know the end stall where I said I was going to make the brooder room? We instead decided to use the upper stall where the ducks are now. I am building new duck pens (15x60 run with 4x8x4 coop divided in half for 2 runs-4 runs total with 2 coops) so the ducks will be out soon.
The stall is 10x14 as is the brooder room(aka tack room). I am thinking I will enclose the front a bit on that stall so summer storms won't be too harsh on baby birds but with summer coming I can have some open are at the front for ventilation. There is that permanent door there at the front with wire on the rest. It is just too hot in the brooder room in the summer once the chicks are 3 weeks old so they need a more outside room to grow up in.
We plan to put the brooders on legs so I can still have 8-16 week old chicks on the floor and able to go outside when the door is open or I will make a small pop door in the big door. Not sure how that will work since I don't want big chicks flying up onto the brooders and able to knock lights off but so far they have done well in the brooder room itself. I will secure brooder lights with bungie cords and attachments but still stuff can happen.
I am saying I am not hatching after October this year! I mean it! Next winter I would like to concentrate just on the big birds and not have to deal with chicks! I am sticking to it this year, I swear!
Here is what I would recommend you do......brooders similar to the one I have linked (that you are already going to build). However, make the bottom level taller. The very top can be mesh, so you can keep brooder lights on top. This top level would have a solid plywood floor (work with me here). The bottom level needs to be slightly taller, so that you can mount the lights INSIDE. This level can have a mesh floor, with trays underneath to catch the poop.
I would then divide the room into smaller areas. That way the floor pens "under" these brooders can be separated into different age groups, or whatever groups you want. If you ran these two levels of brooders along a 14' wall, you could have 3 top brooders and 3 bottom brooders, all approx 4'8" long. You could make them as deep as you want. 2 feet is a good depth where you can reach all the way to the back. I have another brooder that is 3.5 deep and its a pain...you have to use a bowl or board to kind of scoot them closer.
Do you understand what I'm picturing up there? i could draw it out if you want! LOL
