Large scale set up in a barn??

[JacinLarkwell]

Make sure that they all can get warm when they need it. You might need more than one lamp

 

[3KillerBs]

Any tips on brooding that many chicks at a time?

Those big, gas-fired brooders they use in commercial chicken houses, I'd guess.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do an online search for an "Ohio Hover Brooder". It is essentially a shallow box upside down that traps warm air since war air rises. It is an economical way to brood large numbers of chicks. You still have to deal with the poop, but this method will keep them warm.

 

[iwltfum]

I just use multiple heat lamps spread out a bit when brooding large batches like that. If they have access to the entire 500sqft from day one, you might need to set up some way to contain them closer to the lights for the first week or two. So they don't wander off too far from the heat.

I run about 30 chicks per 250W heat lamp as long as the ambient air is not cold. If it's a cold spell late into the spring or something, I will double up all the lamps since my brooders aren't very tight. I have my heat lamps on a thermostatic shut off so the lamps turn off if the temps under them get too hot and then turn back on when it gets back down to the right temperature. I always have a dim white light going in the brooder because when the heat lamps shut off, sometimes the sudden darkness can freak them out a bit so a "night light" helps.

Try to eliminate 90 degree corners in your grow out area and especially during the early weeks when they are prone to clumping and crushing each other. Any 90 degree corners in my brooders I turned into to 2x 45 degree corners with a sheet of plywood.