My new come and go brooder is working

[Germaine_11.20]

I have too many chicks! My "favorites" are in the coop in a protected brooder so that the big girls and boys don't hurt them.

I was left with a bunch of wanted but not super special chicks, and the brooders were full. They needed more room than what they had been in so I made another brooder and put it out in the coop

What I did differently with this was I put all four corners up on large bricks. Giving about 4 inches of space all around for the chicks to run in and out of. The big birds can't get under there.

I hung a 250 red heat lamp bulb in there and put a feeder in too.

Now they just run in to keep warm or stay out of harms way when the big chickens get an attitude. Run out and get a drink. Everyone seems to be good with this and they are all getting used to each other in a safe way.

 

[ranchhand]

Great idea, like having Mama Hen to run to. Got pics?

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

great idea!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Sorry, I don't at the moment.
But all you have to do is put some large bricks under each end. I made sure they were big enough that the brooder can't get knocked or tipped over. I hung the heat lamp and feeder from wire from the ceiling and threaded it through the rabbit wire top of the brooder.
My bricks are about 8-10 inches long and 6 inches wide. The kind that are used for retaining walls.

This was a older brooder I had been using, I just unscrewed the wood floor so it was open. It has a top and 4 sides. No bottom. Up on bricks.

 

[ranchhand]

Thanks, that really is a clever idea!

 

[SunnyChic]

That's a great idea!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I thought so after I rigged it up. Couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before now. Guess I just didn't have the need.

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

This sounds a lot like one I have seen before. Here's a link to the pics.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Well, sort of. Mine is just a regular ol' brooder I made. 4x3 feet and about 3 feet high. I just took the bottom off.

I do have the heat lamp bulb inside the brooder but if you had a short brooder you could hang it above the brooder and over the wire top.

I don't want any fires so I have the bulb up about 14-16 inches off the floor.

A few of the small/medium birds have ducked under but mostly the little guys hide in there.