Well, the plan was to only get eight chicks, but of course, after several trips to the feed store, I ended up with 13 lovely little creatures who were quickly outgrowing their Rubbermaid brooder. I split them into two large tubs, and that helped for one more week, but now at week three, it was time for a larger area.
I built a basic frame using 2x4's pulled from construction debris (the one plus to all the new condos going up all over creation), as well as leftover OSB. It took myself and my Dad the better part of one hectic day, but we built and enclosed a six foot long by four feet wide by two feet tall brooder and put it in one foot tall legs.
When I went to finish it today, I discovered that the rivers of rain we've been getting here in the Seattle area had caused several leaks to spring up inside and cursed my foolishness for not having built one side higher than the other so the rain would run off the top instead of seep insides the cracks. There was fortunately some plastic laying around so I covered the top as best as I could and hammered up a divider in the brooder so the main wet area was walled off and the other half could be kept more warm while the girls are still so small.
I put in about three or four inches of pine shavings, hoping that it would help reduce the need to change out bedding so often. I have read about the deep litter method when brooding and was interested in seeing if it worked.
Here's a shot of the new housing for my little fuzzy dinosaurs:
I built a basic frame using 2x4's pulled from construction debris (the one plus to all the new condos going up all over creation), as well as leftover OSB. It took myself and my Dad the better part of one hectic day, but we built and enclosed a six foot long by four feet wide by two feet tall brooder and put it in one foot tall legs.
When I went to finish it today, I discovered that the rivers of rain we've been getting here in the Seattle area had caused several leaks to spring up inside and cursed my foolishness for not having built one side higher than the other so the rain would run off the top instead of seep insides the cracks. There was fortunately some plastic laying around so I covered the top as best as I could and hammered up a divider in the brooder so the main wet area was walled off and the other half could be kept more warm while the girls are still so small.
I put in about three or four inches of pine shavings, hoping that it would help reduce the need to change out bedding so often. I have read about the deep litter method when brooding and was interested in seeing if it worked.
Here's a shot of the new housing for my little fuzzy dinosaurs:
It's their world, were just living in it.
