Is there such a thing as a brooder that's too big?

[OhHeyItsDevon]

Hi everyone,
I'm brand new to raising chickens. My chicks will be delivered in mid April, so I'm trying to prep ahead of time and learn as much as I can. I have 8 chicks comes, 3 different varieties of Wyandottes and a few Speckled Sussex pullets. I will need to keep them in the brooder for at least 4 weeks, the indoor portion of the coop will be completed before the chicks arrive. My husband and I are building the run and he is a CPA so he will be out of commission until the beginning of May, so I don't want to move them outside until they have a run.

So my question is: Since I'm keeping the chicks in my house for a few weeks, how much space will they need in a brooder/grow up pen? Will I need to provide them with a mini roost in the brooder box at some point as they grow? Will a 52 gallon bin be big enough for them? Can anyone share pictures of their DIY brooder boxes?

Thank you so much in advance!
-Devon

 

[azygous]

No, a brooder can't be too big. Take a read down below of my article on outdoor brooding and see the options you really have out there for your chicks. There are other ways to brood besides a plastic tub in your house.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! You so don't want chicks in your house for a month!!! At best, how about the garage? Everything will be covered in dust that's not healthy to breathe, so outside is best. My chicks are in my garage brooder for two to under three weeks of age, and then move to a section of the coop with their heat lamp. They meet the adults through a hardware cloth wall, and can gradually integrate into the flock over the next month or so.
By four weeks of age your eight chicks will want about thirty sq. ft. of space!
Post pictures or sketches of your new coop!
Mary

 

[OhHeyItsDevon]

The chicks will at least be in my unfinished basement for a few weeks, then the garage is an option if they are too dusty or dirty. I was just worried about starting them in the garage as the temp. will still be pretty chilly in April. I won't have any other chickens to integrate, and I am nervous about having the heat lamp outside in the coop because of potential fire risk. Probably just newbie nerves! I will totally post pictures when the coop is done! A friend is helping me build it, and it probably won't be done until February or early March.

 

[moniquem]

I also purchased a 52 gallon tub that I intend to fix up for the baby chicks. I'll be getting 6 chicks in the spring. I intend to keep them in the basement for about 4-6 weeks. I'm doing something similar to this link here:
http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/02/easy-diy-chick-brooder-box.html
I am also a first time chicken owner so hopefully all will work out

 

[junebuggena]

You need to take into consideration the growth rate of chicks. They double in size each week, and their space needs also double each week. What starts out as plenty of space quickly becomes cramped. A basic guideline is as follows
Week 1- 1/4 sq ft per chick
Week 2- 1/2 sq ft per chick
Week 3- 1 sq ft per chick
Week 4- 2 sq ft per chick
Week 5- 4 sq ft per chick
Week 6- 8 sq ft per chick
The problem with plastic bins is that they are too small to use past a week or two and they tend to become ovens, not being big enough to allow for both a warm and cool zone.

 

[lazy gardener]

Chicks go very fast. They double their size every week. The brooder that was big enough for them last week is now too small for them this week. The purpose of the brooder IS NOT TO KEEP THE CHICKS WARM. The purpose of the brooder is to keep the chicks gathered in a safe place so they don't kill themselves! So, IMO, bigger is better! While a plastic tote seems to be the ideal brooder, there are a number of things that make it less than ideal. First is the size. Even a 52G tote will be too small by the time they are 4 weeks old! Second, the material: Totes, being made of plastic tend to hold too much heat. You only need to provide a tiny little foot print of warm space in the brooder. The rest of the brooder should be as cool as the ambient temperature. Plastic totes are prone to holding too much heat. My first batch of chicks were brooded in a tote. I almost killed them b/c of overheating. Even though I checked the temp often, and had the heat lamp on a dimmer, the temp crept up to lethal temps in a very short time. I strongly advise the use of appliance boxes. They are much bigger, lend themselves easily to customization, and make the ultimate FREE and recyclable brooder. With a knife, you can add perches, windows, hangers for feed and water. You can even join more boxes to enlarge the brooder. All brooders should be covered with hardware cloth, netting, or chicken wire. By the time the chicks are 1 - 2 weeks old, they are working on their flying skills.

Finally, I strongly suggest that you consider using a Mother heating pad brooder instead of a heat lamp. The heating pad cave is a much more natural heat source, mimicking a broody hen in the application of heat, and it is almost impossible to overheat your chicks. The chicks are acclimated to natural day/night cycles, and wean themselves off heat with little intervention from the human.

MHP cave is much safer than a heat lamp. Just 2 days ago, a BYC member had his coop burn to the ground. I believe he was using a heat lamp.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Heat plate or MHP in the coop!

Gary

 

[lazy gardener]

Heat plate or MHP in the coop, or out of the coop, in a box, in a tote, in a garage, in a basement, or... even last case resort, in a home!!!!!!!

 

[Folly's place]

I agree! Premier1supplies.com has a heat plate that's wonderful for the babies, and it would be my first choice. Then the plastic tote is not a good choice, even with a heat plate, it's just too small. I use a 100 gallon stock tank, with a hardware cloth lid, and the heat lamp at one end, so the other end is much cooler. Overheating is bad, and we learn to watch the chicks and modify things so they are comfortable.
Mary