Is this a bad brooder?

[Revelle]

My dad has TONS of cages from when he bred canaries and doves, that are super huge, compared to the size of them. Would using one be a bad idea as a brooder, because of the nature of a cage? Right now the bator has 5 sizzles and 2 SLW that are supposed to hatch in ~5 days, so I'm hoping for at least 3 to make it.

Right now it's the first choice as my first brooder, but it it's bad it'd be easy enough to replace it with a more suitable one.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Tikka]

I think I've read 2 sqft per bird, though our initial brooder was smaller. There should be room for the heat lamp to be in, and to raise or lower as needed.

 

[Revelle]

Quote:
Eeee! I love you, I was wondering when this would be a yes or no thing, and its more awesome because I just candled again and half of them are tapping the shell when I make noise in the bator.

Thank you for answer~!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

If you put something on the cage bottom at least over 1/2 of it so they can scratch and put a draft guard around the whole thing shouldn't be too bad. They can't have drafts at all.

 

[Revelle]

Quote:
Yessums, I was planning to put towels around it.

But, I'm going to switch brooders anyway, so I can get to the chicks easier...

Thank you both for the help/feedback!!

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

I set 96 eggs at a time, and I usually hatch over 90 of them. After hatching I usually put over 85 of them in one of my 5 levels in my GQF stack brooder. I think the brooders are aprox 30"x36". I keep them there for a week and then put half in another level and then at 2 weeks, I move them to the floor of my shed with 2 heat lamps. After they are 5 weeks old, I move them to my "pullet run". I think when they are 1-2 weeks old, they are better off in a cramped space to help they stay warm. I have had a lot of sucess with this method. I think 2sqft per chick is WAY too much for 1-3 weeks old. That would mean that 10 chicks would have to have a 4x5 ft brooder. That is way to big, IMO.

 

[tammyd57]

I think 2 square feet is the space you need for adult chickens in a coop.
I brood 10 chicks in a Sterilite container that is only about 18"x 36" until they feather out and can go in the big pen outside.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Quote:
That was my exact problem . . .


I built a 4x8 brooder, and only had 12 chicks . . .
The trouble was all that EMPTY space . . .

So now there is 35 chicks and 3 poults in it . . .
Wayyy better bird/sqft ratio, imo . . .

 

[tammyd57]

Quote:
This was my exact problem . . .
I built a 4x8 brooder, and only had 12 chicks . . .

The trouble was all that EMPTY space . . .

So now there is 35 chicks and 3 poults in it . . .

Doesn't sound like a problem to me

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Quote:
That was my exact problem . . .


I built a 4x8 brooder, and only had 12 chicks . . .
The trouble was all that EMPTY space . . .

So now there is 35 chicks and 3 poults in it . . .
Wayyy better bird/sqft ratio, imo . . .

Yep that would fix the problem there Chicken whisperer for sure (to much space buy more Chickens)