If you had it to do over again, what is the perfect brooder?

[TexasTay]

Chicks arrive in October (Texas). My hubby does carpentry as a hobby. If you could have any brooder that would work from day one until they go in the coop at age (??), what would your brooder look like? Be like? Size?

Would love to see pics if you have any brooders that have been fantastic!

 

[bobbi-j]

Mama Heating Pad, right in the coop! I did that this spring - chicks in Minnesota in the coop in April. They did just fine! As a matter of fact, they were the healthiest bunch of chicks I've raised in years.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

 

[Kiki]

I too would suggest by passing a brooder and going straight to a secure coop.
Sorry not quite the answer you are looking for but it really works out well.


You could use a large dog crate. I suggest something well ventilated with small enough openings that the chicks can't squeeze out and with a top.

 

[Kiki]

Oops I hit send too quick....how many did you order?

 

[CannedMonster]

Short answer? What bobbi-j & Kikisgirls said. Put them in the coop with a heating pad/plate.

I raised 8 chicks hatched March 26 in a kiddie pool in our garage with a heat lamp.
They outgrew the pool in 2 weeks and my husband built me a 4’ x 5’ x 2’ high grow out pen we also kept in the garage.
We had to put a wire “lid” on it shortly after because they could easily jump out.
They outgrew that by 6 weeks I’d say.

The 12 chicks I have now (4-5 weeks) were started in the kiddie pool for 2 weeks and then transferred to my prefab coop.
This time I used a Premier 1 heat plate and I love it!!
I’ll never go back to heat lamps.
We ran an extension cord out to the coop and the heat plates cord fit perfectly right under the nest box lid.
They love their coop and run!
I make sure to give them little roosts and things to jump on.
They mastered the ramp in no time.
They’ve been going up at dark by themselves for about a week.
They have a good time in there.
They’ve been off of heat for about 10 days now.
I only had it turned on at night anyway.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I already have my solution. I only do 3 or 4 chicks at a time, so my brooder gives them over 2 sq ft per chick. Notch in the door for the MHP cord, plenty of natural light and ventilation, and during integration the doorway can easily be blocked off just enough to provide a chick sized opening for them to escape from hens if needed.

Improvements I may possibly make for the future: a solid floor for safety and added rain protection, and wheels, so the unit could easily be moved around. It's not heavy but unwieldy.

 

[Dmontgomery]

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• Dmontgomery
• Sep 25, 2017

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• Dmontgomery
• Sep 25, 2017
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• Dmontgomery
• Sep 25, 2017

This has worked the best for me. It is based off the design of Amferro103’s, posted a few years ago.
I agree a combination brooder/grow out pen inside the coop is the best option, but it’s not something I can do in my situation.
I can raise 25 chicks inside from day 1 to 4 weeks+. I have plywood sides I can attach to use it year round and a divider I can put inside to separate different age chicks if needed.
@aart has the best brooder/integration set up I’ve seen on BYC, but you have to have a pretty big coop to use it.

 

[song of joy]

"If you had to do it over again, what is the perfect brooder?" This is a great question.

I wish I had waited for a good broody hen before investing in various incubators and brooder set-ups! A good broody hen is the perfect incubator and brooder, along with the perfect teacher and integrator of chicks into the flock. IMO, she's the least expensive and most effective method of hatching and raising chicks.

 

[Dmontgomery]

"If you had to do it over again, what is the perfect brooder?" This is a great question.

I wish I had waited for a good broody hen before investing in various incubators and brooder set-ups! A good broody hen is the perfect incubator and brooder, along with the perfect teacher and integrator of chicks into the flock. IMO, she's the least expensive and most effective method of hatching and raising chicks.

AMEN!

 

[Birdinhand]

one thing I will do my best to never use again is a heat lamp, wow, it's that thing that just keeps getting used because "it's the way we've always done it". some sort of radiant heat panel like the mother heating pad or one of the commercially available ones is so vastly better for the chicks than a heat lamp and much safer as far as fires/burns, it's just kind of time to retire the whole heat lamp idea to the dustbin of antiquity.