Is This A Good Brooder For 5 White Bantam Silkie Chicks?

[ManuelsChickens]

I Wanted To Know If This Was A Good Brooder For 5 White Bantam Silkie Chicks.
Can Anybody Help?!?
-Thanks.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

How old are they and do you have a heat lamp (you don't have to answer- just wanted to get you thinking? Gotta be careful with small cardboard boxes and heat lamps to prevent fire.

If they are old enough they won't need a lamp:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html

McMurray Hatchery's chick care page is good, too:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html

Enjoy your new fuzzy butts!!!!!


I love silkies!!!

Oh- here is the brooder section of BYC- might give you some ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-chicken-brooder-designs-pictures

 

[ManuelsChickens]

Yes i do have a heat lamp, And i'm ordering them so their going to be about 3 days old.
thanks for the links. Is there a big chance of a fire?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/kathyinmos-brooders

If you scroll down to the very bottom, what this person did with cardboard is amazing! It would take up a very large area.

Chicks put off a lot of dust, and so you don't want them in a bedroom, for sure. It is bad for your lungs.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Yes i do have a heat lamp, And i'm ordering them so their going to be about 3 days old.
thanks for the links. Is there a big chance of a fire?

OK for 3 day olds then you can measure the temperature under the light and farthest away from the light to get an idea of how things are going. They should be able to get away from the heat.

You might be able to use one or two (I have used up to three) 100 watt bulbs over a box if you can maintain proper temperatures that way. A heat lamp bulb is VERY dangerous and should be used with great caution.

Even regular light bulbs should not be near combustible materials. Make sure you hang your lamp at least two ways not including the clamp because they get knocked.

Yes there is a huge chance of fire so you must be very careful. What I like to do is put some hardware cloth or metal fencing under the lamp (not too close) in case it falls when I am brooding in the house. That is an insurance policy of sorts in case all the metal wire I string that is holding the lamp up fails.

The hardware cloth also keeps the chicks from jumping out of the brooder.

 

[ManuelsChickens]

oh okay, thanks.

 

[yo burrill]

A box that size you should only need a 60 watt bulb at the most. My box is 21"X19" 16" tall and thats what I use. . I have had seven banty chicks in this set up, could keep a few more but they would have to go outside a little sooner. I have two pieces of the wire closet shelf that I cover my box with and set the light on. No way the light can hurt the birds that way. And keeps my nosey cat and dogs out of the brooder and the chicks in. They learn to fly really fast!!! What do you have for food in the dish?? It looks rather large for banty chicks to eat. I use chick starter mash for mine till they go outside. Chicks cant digest seeds with hulls on them when they are first hatched. They need grit in thier croup to be able to crack the hard outer shell of seeds and cracked corn is like candy to chickens. The first couple days you should put food right on the floor of the box. Their natural instinct is to scratch at the floor for food. It takes them a few days to figure out a dish and then they will get in that dish and scratch the food everywhere anyways. You could use a small butter tub and cut holes in the side for them to stick their heads in to eat. That will keep the brooder much cleaner and they wont waste so much food. Leave the cover on it so they cant jump up and into the dish to poop in it.

 

[ManuelsChickens]

A box that size you should only need a 60 watt bulb at the most. My box is 21"X19" 16" tall  and thats what I use. . I have had seven banty chicks in this set up, could keep a few more but they would have to go outside a little sooner. I have two pieces of the wire closet shelf that I cover my box with and set the light on. No way the light can hurt the birds that way. And keeps my nosey cat and dogs out of the brooder and the chicks in. They learn to fly really fast!!!  What do you have for food in the dish?? It looks rather large for banty chicks to eat. I use chick starter mash for mine till they go outside. Chicks cant digest seeds with hulls on them when they are first hatched. They need grit in thier croup to be able to crack the hard outer shell of seeds and cracked corn is like candy to chickens. The first couple days you should put food right on the floor of the box. Their natural instinct is to scratch at the floor for food. It takes them a few days to figure out a dish and then they will get in that dish and scratch the food everywhere anyways. You could use a small butter tub and cut holes in the side for them to stick their heads in to eat. That will keep the brooder much cleaner and they wont waste so much food. Leave the cover on it so they cant jump up and into the dish to poop in it.

 

It Is Broke Corn With Bird Food, It's That There's No Poultry Store Over Here! So I Can't Buy Starter Food But Do You Happen To Know Where I Can Buy This Starter Feed At? Do They Sell Them At Any Store Like Menards, Walmart etc. ?

 

[NovaAman]

no tractor supply? Family farm and home? Some Wal-Mart's do have stuff.

 

[RonC]

Wanted to add that you don't have to heat the whole brooder. Just one area where they can warm up. I used a heating pad wrapped in a towel when mine were really small. The rest of the area should be cooler for them to escape from the heat. I know yours are bantams so the brooder can be smaller but recomend to give them all the space you can. In a week or so they will be trying out their wing feathers and they grow fast. Look for feed stores in the phone book or information. If you have to drive some distance to get chick starter get enough(30lbs) to last. It won't go bad unless it gets wet or bugs get in it. It can be ordered online but I'm sure the shipping won't be cheep (pun intended).