Is a brooder necessary

[Kitt]

Mine is a wire dog kennel with cardboard around the sides to keep out drafts. And of course the heat lamp.

 

[F106A]

Please be careful with the rubbermaid-like tubs. I'm probably speaking to the choir, so-to-speak, but I melted the top edge of mine about the third day I had them in the tub before I moved the chicks into my homemade wood brooder. I suspect the kids or the dogs knocked the tub, or the light to close. As we like to say in the military; it was self critiquing. Fortunately, I caught it when I made my last check of the night, and probably prevented a real disaster as they were in the spare bedroom at the time.

Mark

 

[cmtigger]

This year mine are in a 24"x24" guinea pig cage in the laundry room for the first few weeks, then I've been moving them to bigger rabbit cages in a shed (still with the light) for a few more weeks.

 

[AuntieE]

My brooder is a "little tykes" type toy chest. I replaced the plastic top with hardware cloth, and was able to place the lamp on the wire. When I needed less heat I raised it up. I was really paranoid about a fire, though, so I was always rechecking the heat lamp to make sure it was secure.

 

[suzeqf]

i use cardboard boxes and just add boxes and secure them with zip ties and cut a door way when they need more room i've got a chickie apartment building with 30 chicks from 2-7 weeks old since the weather will not cooperate long enough to get the coop built and my older chicks hang out on the roof top patio and watch chick tv

 

[mychookschick]

When I had chicks in the house I used a large rubbermaid tote with chicken wire on the top... I backed a metal chair up to it and hung the light on that. It worked very well! No problems with it slipping or anything! I will use this set-up again in a few weeks when I get my Wyandottes!

 

[mama24]

I have mine in a bathtub w/ pine shavings and a light.

I hada friend back in IN who did this. Works great! We have 3 bathrooms, so losing one for a while is no problem, as long as the toilet and sink are still available.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is a brooder necessary for baby chicks? If you have a broody hen to take care of them, no. But if you are taking care of them, yes.

Ddawn, trust you to come up with a great link. I don't remember seeing that one.

I put my brooder in the coop from Day 1. It is basically a wire cage with a draft guard around it, much like a rabbit cage but 3' x 5' in size. I keep one area in the correct temperature range but let the rest cool off, usually about 20 to 30 degrees cooler in the far corners. The first couple of days they spend most of their time under the heat lamp, but by the third day they are playing all over the brooder, only coming back to the heat when they want to warm up. They do tend to sleep in the heated area.

If I tried to keep the entire brooder the exact perfect temperature, I'd always be very concerned. But by letting them find their own comfort level, my life is a lot easier. By the time they are about 4 to 5 weeks old, they have fully feathered out and I take the heat source and the brooder away.

 

[turbodog]

I'm currently using a child's "kiddie pool" with sides made of cardboard boxes cut flat and duct taped together. Fits nicely around the pool and slips on and off for easy cleaning. Taped a 1x2 to one side to hang a lamp from. Added pine shavings, waterer and feeder. Viola! A brooder! The girls seem very happy with it.

I did add some chicken wire over the top as they are starting to flap quite successfully and I don't want any escapees launching off the top of the feeder.

 

[jenkassai]

Quote:
D'oh! WHY didn't I think of peg board???!! That is a great idea! And would break down easily for storage. Maybe next time. This time I'm using coroplast with hardware cloth on top. We'll see how it goes!!