I'm doing it no matter what DH says. BUT I have a question

[ginbart]

I have been saving my eggs for a couple of days now and will put them in the bator next Wednesday. Being that it is so cold I will need to put them in the basement with a heat lamp after they hatch, maybe after they are a week old. But my question is, what do I put them in. I am trying to fill the bator and if I have 30 chicks I need something big to put them in.

Does someone have any pictures of what they have build so I could have an idea.

Thanks.

 

[Buster]

There is a great thread on here that people posted pics of their brooders on. Let me find it for you. There are probably hundreds on there.

 

[Buster]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

 

[Mahonri]

Well, if you are talking about after they hatch... that's the brooder.

You can go to your local "U-haul" store and they have some nice big boxes that you can use for your brooder.

Of course once they are 4-6 weeks old they'll be flying out of the box and then you'll need an outdoor coop... so they can snuggle and stay warm... and you may even need to do the extension cord thing and put a heat lamp in there for a while.

 

[sred98]

Honestly, if you have a large heavy duty rubbermaid tub(or something like it) that works great! The heat lamp clamps easily to the side, there's no mess, no draft, and it's easy to clean. It also doesn't get soggy if there is a waterer accident! LOL! You could also put a screen top on it if you needed to.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

Shelly

 

[BeardedChick]

You must have an extra horse water tank around. I have a 150 gallon one in my basement for brooding (6' x 2'). You could easily wrap the sides and bottom with that silver reflectix (looks like bubblewrap) insulation if you want to keep it from losing as much heat.

That said, I am going to build a nice brooder this year, the same size as the tank. I want a nice picture window, and I want a trap door on the bottom so I can easily scrape it out every day.

I have gone cocoa for coco-puffs on this whole chicken thang.

 

[Whirlwind]

I used a rubbermaid tub also. Just be careful with the heat lamp with cardboard and plastic. There is a thread on here somewhere about a cardboard brooder catching fire.

 

[@migocontodos~]

You can start off with the rubbermaid tub...but I warn you...they will grow out of it FAST!
You better be thinking of a backup plan and have it READY!

 

[sred98]

I never had a problem with the lamp and the rubbermaid tub, but my DS (7) did make the bulb explode all over him and the chicks by flicking water onto it to watch it sizzle!

Luckily no one was hurt, and I can guarantee he won't be doing that again! LOL! My brooder was in the bathroom, and he thought it would be cool to see what would happen!

He came out of there white as a sheet!!! LOL! How he didn't get injured, I'll never know.

So, just be careful! And even if your kids know better, doesn't mean they'll use any common sense!

Shelly

 

[miss_jayne]

get yourself a shatter resistant bulb...they are dipped in rubber. awesome!

they have them with the flood lights. 120 watts. keeps a brooder toasty!