I have made a brooder out of a clear plastic storage bin. The dimensions are 30" Long 16" Wide at the bottow and it is 12" tall. I cut a large rectange in the lid and put 1/2" wire in its place and mounted a 250W red reflector light to the top of the wire on the out side. So far my tempature is between 90 - 95 degrees in the brooder. How many pullets will this size accomodate and for how long? I plan to buy between 8 - 12 pullets now but am also currious to how many it will handle for future purchases. Thanks.
Pullets or chicks? Pullets are young females just beginning to lay, and this box will not hold more than one! If you are talking about chicks, than you should be fine!
Well...... 8 to 12 day old pullets...will be comfortable in there for say...2 weeks, maybe 3? You will just have to wathc them, they will let you knwo when they need more room ie: pecking each other, peeping alot and just looking uncomfortable. Plan now to get another brooder set up in a few weeks. A large cardboard box...childs plastic pool...most anything will work...but remember, they "hop/fly" pretty high in a few weeks!
Sorry about that. New to the chicken business still trying to learn the terms. They are day old chicks. How long would you be able to keep 12 chicks in this size brooder?
I would say maybe 2 weeks at most. they grow quick, and if they dont have enough room will peck at eachother.
I'm confused!?!?!? When you order chicks they call the females pullets. I thought that any female chicken under laying age is called a pullet even chicks.
People generally call males & female's chicks while they are still cute little fluffy butts. It doesn't indicate sex at all. The terminology then gravitates over to the pullet/cockeral (teens) and hen/rooster(adult).
Are you sure that the red 250 W bulb is only 90-95° in the brooder? If I sit a 250W heat lamp on top of my brooder wire, it is nearly120° underneath it. The chicks need a place to get away from the heat, so if you are measuring 90-95° at the opposite end of the heat lamp, that is too hot.
That's a good point Carla. I'm not terrific with dimensions, but I only needed a 100 watt for my 30 gallon aquarium and it was quite toasty.