Is this a bad brooder?

Revelle

Songster
9 Years
Jan 30, 2010
339
2
121
Silvis
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.
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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.
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Thanks for the feedback!
 
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.
 
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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.
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Thank you for answer~!!
 
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Yessums, I was planning to put towels around it.
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But, I'm going to switch brooders anyway, so I can get to the chicks easier...
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Thank you both for the help/feedback!!
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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.
 
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.
 
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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 . . .
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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 . . .
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Doesn't sound like a problem to me
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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 . . .
wink.png


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