So for the past 4 years I have used all sorts of different brooders for the first several weeks - boxes, totes, bathtub, etc. Then I would put up my temporary "nursery" in the chicken house for the remaining time. Well I'm tired of that. Plus I have too many chickens and guineas now to take away part of the chicken house. Soooo DH and I designed and built a new brooder. Right now it is in the unfinished part of our basement but as soon as the weather cooperates and the barn gets finished and I can move everybody there. The brooder will be moved there and we will also build a "grow out" pen that they can move to until ready to be with the rest of the flock. We mostly raise guineas so we need a place that they can be locked up for 2 months.
So here's the new brooder! I LOVE IT
It's 4 ft wide and 3ft deep. Has hardware cloth on the doors and there is also acrylic cut to fit to keep in warmth for time like now. There is also an opening on the side that has the acrylic on but not the hardware cloth yet.
Both doors open for ease of cleaning, but the left one will be the primary door to access food and water. You can see the sweeter heater hanging as well. There is a light in the back of the brooder.
Chicks and ducks added - blue, black, splash marans, SLW, and 2 pekin ducks.
So I took a chance and wanted to try to add my silkie and the ONE Crevecour chick that hatched in an egg with a broken air cell. This is a first time silkie mom and she took to the rest of those babies like they were hers all along. Within minutes everyone was climbing on her and she was feeding them. I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. Oh just a note - I hatched the crevecour chick in my Brinsea and since he was SO much smaller than the rest of the chicks I gave him to my broody silkie. It worked!
Excuse the grainy pics - apparently my phone camera lens must be dirty. LOL! And don't ask me why the pics have a red tone to them. It must have to do with the white light reflecting off the plywood.... because there is no red light anywhere near there.
Thanks for looking!
So here's the new brooder! I LOVE IT
It's 4 ft wide and 3ft deep. Has hardware cloth on the doors and there is also acrylic cut to fit to keep in warmth for time like now. There is also an opening on the side that has the acrylic on but not the hardware cloth yet.
Both doors open for ease of cleaning, but the left one will be the primary door to access food and water. You can see the sweeter heater hanging as well. There is a light in the back of the brooder.
Chicks and ducks added - blue, black, splash marans, SLW, and 2 pekin ducks.
So I took a chance and wanted to try to add my silkie and the ONE Crevecour chick that hatched in an egg with a broken air cell. This is a first time silkie mom and she took to the rest of those babies like they were hers all along. Within minutes everyone was climbing on her and she was feeding them. I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. Oh just a note - I hatched the crevecour chick in my Brinsea and since he was SO much smaller than the rest of the chicks I gave him to my broody silkie. It worked!
Excuse the grainy pics - apparently my phone camera lens must be dirty. LOL! And don't ask me why the pics have a red tone to them. It must have to do with the white light reflecting off the plywood.... because there is no red light anywhere near there.
Thanks for looking!
