My Canadian cold weather brooder!

[Viva-Lena]

Well where I am we have had weather flux from +12 (celcius) to -40. So regardless of where I keep my brooder I will need to be on top of checking for heat/cold surging. I have been searching obsessively for a cold weather very sturdy and portable brooder for a cpl months to no avail! So here's what I came up with and plan on doing a trial this week in both outdoor coop conditions as well as in my heated garage.

[/IMG][/IMG]
The first photo is a terrible view of its size. Sorry! But the second shows the styrofoam insulation followed by the reflective bubble insulation. Next is my brinea "hen", shaving and straw bed mix and a overhead heat lamp if needed. I will have a thermometer and hygrometer to ensure it is not to moist.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Looks like it will stay warm but what will you do about ventilation?

 

[Viva-Lena]

I am thinking on warmer days I will lay chicken wire over the top. Was hoping to possibly get some ideas on this as well. Maybe a few vents covered in construction mesh? But where to place them and will they ruin my heat efficiency?

 

[Viva-Lena]

Also the bottom is raised. 4 " off the ground and has styrofoam insulation.

 

[rc4u]

i like mine to be big about 8x8 so I don't have to move 'em..then after two weeks they start going outside if weather permits..and I am in ND same temps as you..i like burlap over the chips so easy to just replace then shake off used ones and hang till next time.. I actually use three lights for bigger area heated... This is in my shop and its heated to 60 when chicks come..

 

[Viva-Lena]

I like your idea of burlap. I may use cut open feed sacks with that idea since their available. Mine is 5x4 and 2' high. I will have 30 chicks max at a time so I think I'm doing ok at a little over 1/2' each. 30 chickens is all I could have in my coop 8x10 anyhow. (Well in some cases 40 but I think as a newbie I'll stick with the higher sq/ft a bird ratio for now!).

 

[Going Quackers]

Chicks peck though? that could be a massive issue. Plus as said by the previous poster you need ventilation. Do you have chicks already?

 

[shmccarthy]

I have a cold weather brooder. I'm in Michigan and currently brooding some bantam silkie chicks outdoors.
It's 2 stories and has a ramp that connects to the bottom floor and the chicken run. The ramp is blocked off though so the chicks can't go down there.
It's 5.5 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall. It's got a pointed roof and is shingled, sided and insulated. I had to modify it a bit for better ventilation but where the roof overlaps the wall, there's a half inch gap that air passes through on each side. It seems to work well.
The roof has a hatch that opens up to access the brooder. The hatch is plexiglass with a wooden frame, it latches and it a pain to get open so I know it's secure.
I have a heat lamp on each back corner and it's 95 floor temperature in the warm part and 80 floor temperature in the cool parts. The chicks run around all day in the brooder and are quite warm.

Here's a picture of it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Here's my brooders that have kept chicks toasty even with outside temps down to 10F and an unheated building.
There's a heat emitter at each end.
I use burlap over the shavings for the first week also.

No ventilation problems.










~~I would be more concerned about the ventilation than a lack of heat. They don't need the whole space to be warm, just one spot. That's the way a broody hen does it.