** PIC HEAVY **
We get our new baby chicks today, 03/30, from MPC and I thought I'd share my "budget brooder" that my wife and I built. The combined need to house our chicks in their brooder for about 6 to 8 weeks combined with our Northern Michigan climate means that I needed to do this in a very temperature stable environment. But heeding the advice given here about how dusty the little fuzzy butts can get we decided our basement would be a perfect match. The temp is steady, I can control how hot/cold I need the brooder with dual-250 watt red lamps on dimmers, it's large enough for our small flock (roughly 16 sq. foot), and tall enough to feel safe from any escape artists.
We just bought a new washer and dryer and I told the guys I'd keep the boxes thinking about this brooder setup I had in my future. Sure enough they have proven to be perfect for us. I have them assembled in a somewhat "L" shape with the tops cut out as you'll see. I made a hardware cloth topper for it as well but I've decided to go with a different topper because the wire is too easy to cut you taking it on and off each day. I'm refashioning the parts of the box that we cut out back into the toppers with hardware cloth also so that they have a nice open space and I can see in without them having a way to jump out later on down the road.
I've got all my supplies ready and I'm anxious to have some peeping action going on today! I'll post more pics of the brooder after I've finished the new topper and with some baby chicks!
Here is the wife with our baby girl Tia inside one of the boxes to get an idea of size.
Horrible top angled odd view.
Better top angle view.
Top view from the other side.
Somewhat overall view.
Now with bedding and overhead heat lamps installed on dimmers.
We have our own basement "Red Light District".
Low cost thermometer. Good even temps throughout brooder with a nice cooler area as well if they need. This is not the correct temp, just a pic example beforehand.
Recycled popcorn bucket playhouse and 2x4 for roosting when they figure that out.
Thanks for looking! More pics soon after I finish the remaining ideas floating around in my head. These pics accidentally got reformatted a little smaller than I'd have originally liked so I'll make the next batch a little larger.
We get our new baby chicks today, 03/30, from MPC and I thought I'd share my "budget brooder" that my wife and I built. The combined need to house our chicks in their brooder for about 6 to 8 weeks combined with our Northern Michigan climate means that I needed to do this in a very temperature stable environment. But heeding the advice given here about how dusty the little fuzzy butts can get we decided our basement would be a perfect match. The temp is steady, I can control how hot/cold I need the brooder with dual-250 watt red lamps on dimmers, it's large enough for our small flock (roughly 16 sq. foot), and tall enough to feel safe from any escape artists.
We just bought a new washer and dryer and I told the guys I'd keep the boxes thinking about this brooder setup I had in my future. Sure enough they have proven to be perfect for us. I have them assembled in a somewhat "L" shape with the tops cut out as you'll see. I made a hardware cloth topper for it as well but I've decided to go with a different topper because the wire is too easy to cut you taking it on and off each day. I'm refashioning the parts of the box that we cut out back into the toppers with hardware cloth also so that they have a nice open space and I can see in without them having a way to jump out later on down the road.
I've got all my supplies ready and I'm anxious to have some peeping action going on today! I'll post more pics of the brooder after I've finished the new topper and with some baby chicks!
Here is the wife with our baby girl Tia inside one of the boxes to get an idea of size.
Horrible top angled odd view.
Better top angle view.
Top view from the other side.
Somewhat overall view.
Now with bedding and overhead heat lamps installed on dimmers.
We have our own basement "Red Light District".
Low cost thermometer. Good even temps throughout brooder with a nice cooler area as well if they need. This is not the correct temp, just a pic example beforehand.
Recycled popcorn bucket playhouse and 2x4 for roosting when they figure that out.
Thanks for looking! More pics soon after I finish the remaining ideas floating around in my head. These pics accidentally got reformatted a little smaller than I'd have originally liked so I'll make the next batch a little larger.
