Need a bigger brooder, what would work?

[Izzymoon]

I started with a "brooder kit" which was a box and it had a plastic tub at the bottom, that lasted about 1-1/2 weeks, then I went out and bought a hard plastic kiddie pool, which was great for about the same, but had to add cardboard around the sides to keep them inside. I started to notice they were getting bored as they were shredding the paper towels I had over the shavings.

Today they moved down cellar I kept the kiddie pool, but added sticks from trees to raise the ceiling, and added garden mesh ( you'd use it on grapes and bushes etc. to grow on) over the top, and added a big old stump in the middle. Prior to this they'd have to dig though the paper towels to get to the shavings, the new digs only have shavings. They are SO happy, peeping and pecking at the stump and being able to fly around, flap their wings and kick all the shavings.

My inital thought was to get a cover you would put over a baby play pen, but I wasn't able to find that, and went into the garden center to look to see if they had any type of screens, and that's when I found the mesh. I put the food and water up on upside down hamburger containers so the shavings wouldn't get in. They quikly figured everything out and I kept their "safety zone" where they always have slept, (basically the roost that came with the kit and the therometer)

 

[Vickilynn45]

Thank you all for your great recommendations! I went down the alley behind our plumbing shop and found a huge box that a water heater was in. I needed to cut out a top, so I used that to seal the one end that was open and taped the heck out of it. I found a length of hardware cloth to put over the top of it all, and bent the edges to fit. It works perfectly and I didn't have to spend any money- yay. Now they are really happy and have room to breathe again. I'll still take them out daily for a bit in the yard supervised till the run is done, but at least this keeps them more comfortable for now.

Now, the only annoying thing is that they have scratched to the bottom of the brooder and seem to like the sound of scratching on it. It's very loud LOL

 

[Vickilynn45]

I started with a "brooder kit" which was a box and it had a plastic tub at the bottom, that lasted about 1-1/2 weeks, then I went out and bought a hard plastic kiddie pool, which was great for about the same, but had to add cardboard around the sides to keep them inside. I started to notice they were getting bored as they were shredding the paper towels I had over the shavings.

Today they moved down cellar I kept the kiddie pool, but added sticks from trees to raise the ceiling, and added garden mesh ( you'd use it on grapes and bushes etc. to grow on) over the top, and added a big old stump in the middle. Prior to this they'd have to dig though the paper towels to get to the shavings, the new digs only have shavings. They are SO happy, peeping and pecking at the stump and being able to fly around, flap their wings and kick all the shavings.

My inital thought was to get a cover you would put over a baby play pen, but I wasn't able to find that, and went into the garden center to look to see if they had any type of screens, and that's when I found the mesh. I put the food and water up on upside down hamburger containers so the shavings wouldn't get in. They quikly figured everything out and I kept their "safety zone" where they always have slept, (basically the roost that came with the kit and the therometer)

That's so funny you mentioned the garden mesh as I was going out to my garage to grab a roll of it when I spied the roll of hardware cloth off to the side.

 

[Rhoise]

Hi Vicki Mine are out growing the chinchilla cage we started in, they are 3weeks so i made this out of a XL dog crate yesterday, should be ok for two more weeks till the coops done I have the 2 PBR & 3 RIR, they are happy and we let them out in the yard for an hour or so in the afternoon to pick grit and eat grass...... it measures 48L X 24W X 28H and is actually quite roomy compared to the small 2.5 x1.5 upper level of chinchilla cage they were in....we make sure and play with them because the sides are more solid and less lighted than wire cages.

 

[kgardner19]

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[kgardner19]

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We bought a huge metal trough for the chickens, then when they were grown we would use it for the horse as a trough. They are 10 days old and have already grown out of it!

 

[Vickilynn45]

I am always amazed by the clever ideas people come up with for their brooders. Very creative! I would have bought a water stock tank if I wouldn't have found the box. I could have reused the waterer as a veggie bed.

 

[Rhoise]

I have 2 very curious cats so had to make it really secure!

 

[InsaneChicken]

For the first 2 weeks we had our chicks in a rat cage (10 of them) and then when the got big enough we put them in a wire dog kennel. This dog kennel fits both of our Saint Bernards in it so there is room for our chicks to fly about until they get their feathers, then once they get their feathers we put them outside in a smaller wire dog kennel until the hens get used to them and then we let them out with them after a few weeks. Right now I have a silkie chick that hatched earlier today (and a few more that should hatch in the next few days) and I put a rat cage over a rubbermaid tub (the rat cage didn't have a bottom and our other rat cages are being used for other chicks) and it's perfect. Big enough for 5 silkies, I can open the top and get in there if I need to. As long as you've got a little creativity you really can turn ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING into a brooder!

 

[Nicole01]

I use a XL wire dog kennel. I keep them in there until they are fully integrated with the flock. I have 3, so they will be fine fully grown inside the kennel. I put plywood on the top, so the bigger girls do not poop through it.

I no longer have it covered since my chicks are fully feathered and 2 months old.