Need brooder ideas ... Post pics!

[Quack House]

Hi there! I'm *expecting* some arrivals in two weeks and I haven't got a brooder set up yet. I think I have all the stuff except the actual container.

What do you all use?

Would love to see your set ups.
Also, how long do they last in the first brooder?
Mine will need to be indoor for a while because we're having the worse winter ever here ... so ... What sort of set up will I need at first (day olds) and after a few weeks.

Thanks!

 

[Araucana16]

Oh gosh, you do not want to see the horror I keep my babies in!

Last time, we set them up on the coffee table in my living room in a recycling bin. Worked surprisingly well. We just had some shavings inside, food, water, a screen over the top, and a heat lamp. Once they were two weeks, we shoved them in the corner in a dog crate with a sad little heat lamp lingering over top....

Hey, they survived!

 

[Tappy4me]

This is our setup. Pine shavings will be going in as well as feed and water dishes once we pickup the chicks.

 

[bhwk40]

I always use a cardboard box, if you dont have one big enough you can always cut and connect some to meet your needs.

 

[bhwk40]

oh yeah, and an old screen over the top after a couple weeks cause they may fly out

 

[sanchabird]

Hi! I use a long plastic storage bin with chicken wire covering it (so the chicks can't jump or fly out when they're and a heat lamp over top for about 4-5 weeks or until the heat lamp is no longer needed (start with 90 degrees and decrease by 5 each week or until it is the same temp as the room). Then I put them in a large plastic dog crate for another 1-2 weeks. I always use pine shavings, never cedar. My first 2 sets were raised in a basement workshop, and the third in the garage.

 

[sanchabird]

*so the chicks can't fly out when they're older and also if the heat lamp were to fall it wouldn't touch them.) PM me if you need anything else! Good luck with the babies!!

 

[ayschmidt]

I keep the new babies in a large tote until they feather out a bit (about 2 weeks) and get big enough to fly out and then they move to the garage in a oblong stock tank that I cover with a chicken wire door kinda thing that we made. Just make sure they are warm enough if you move them from the indoors to the outdoors that young. I have lost healthy chicks from overcrowding because they were not getting enough heat. I also use pine chips. They are easy to clean up and the chicks like to nest in them. I hope that helps. GOOD LUCK!

 

[sanchabird]

I have also used a 50 gallon long fish tank that was no longer in use. It worked great!

 

[henless]

I have mine in a watermelon box I got at Wal-Mart for free. Works really well. We have it set up in my husbands shop.



Fifteen chicks under the heat plate.



Here they are last Saturday when our temps were in the high 70's. They were keeping the heat plate warm.