New brooder unit

[NellaBean]

Added a roost and moved my pair of Mille Cochins into the top level.

Fixed the light up with a hardware cloth cover, since it is a bit low and I want to make sure it won't burn anybody. It is snapped through an eye bolt secured in the corner.

I think I have decided to keep babies in the house the first week, when temp is most critical...and then move into the brooder on week 2, when I would normally drop the temp a bit. My ideal order should ship tomorrow, so I expect to have babies out here in a few weeks.

 

[NellaBean]

Tonight I finished the bottom level, adding the heat lamp to the right corner, mirroring the top level. Since none of my Ideal babies made it here

I will be using it for quarantining another trio of bantam cochins.

I will be working on hanging additional heat lamps on the left corners as well, and creating as least one divider as it looks like I have a single cockerel coming who may need a time out area, LOL. I will post pics once I do that.

 

[NellaBean]

Also, what I have learned so far is that using 1x4 to hold the shavings in....mostly does not. I think it needs to be at least 6" tall, possibly 8". They really kick it up scratching around.

We have had some below freezing nights again. I have a 75 watt lightbulb in the lamp and so that right section stays relatively nice. The left section is COLD and the middle section so so. Water was in the middle section and was partially frozen this morning, so I moved it near the light instead, which should keep it thawed out. I will be making 'covers' for the hardware cloth with some plexiglass to help hold heat in. It is fine for adults but would not hold enough heat for any younguns.

I have to keep in mind that this area gets very hot in the summer, so I have to make brooders that are both heatable and coolable......it will need at least partial covers for winter and just the mesh for summer. That is perfect. If I had permanent covers, it would cook them in the summer.


Learning as I go!

 

[aimeeinwv]

great job!!!

 

[NellaBean]

Bought some bantam gold laced cochins yesterday, so the trio moved into the bottom level of the brooder unit for their quarantine. I plan on working on getting a divider up into the top level, making a single small unit on the left and a double unit on the right. I have a young bantam cochin in the house who needs a warmer place to stay. I will put him out there, if I can get a small area for him that will stay warmer. Still need to get a cover made for the mesh as well.

I have a different brooder unit as well....it is actually a tack shed that I converted into a growout brooder/quarantine shed.

I needed a 4th quarantine area for another trio of bantam cochins, so split this shed vertically since the top was mostly wasted space unless I had young mediteranean breeds in there.

The light is hanging up top but not turned on, which is why its so dark....it is hanging behind the center pillar thing. So now I have two 4x6 brooder areas in the shed, and two 2x8 brooder areas in the unit (which can be split into up to 6 smaller areas).

I think I have about all the brooder area I am going to need at this point. Now, on to making new coops and pens for all the new trios and pairs. My work is never done! I am now working alone as my SO and I broke up last week, so the work is going a bit slower. Ah well...

 

[chaneg78]

You have one sweet setup!