Ohio Brooder aka Hoover Brooder

[Dutchmen1122]

Thanks for the help on the last questions

The chick loss has stopped and the hatchery's replasement chicks will be here on
Mon.. I set up a nice small cow tank brooder for them. The plan is to settle all the chickens in to a 8x8 coop with two runs. I am in the process of building an Ohio brooder. Any one have any words of wisdom I looking for tips or pros or cons in the building of or using of this type of brooder.

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[eggs4me2]

Thanks for the help on the last questions

... I am in the process of building an Ohio brooder. Any one have any words of wisdom I looking for tips or pros or cons in the building of or using of this type of brooder.

They work awesome! We have built them in multiple sizes, as small as 2' X 2' using small bulbs in the little ones.

 

[aart]

I think @ChickenCanoe has built and used/uses them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I built two of them. I went by the plans in the original chicken book from the mid 1900s at called for a 4X4 brooder. I didn't have a piece of plywood that big but I was able to build a 4'X 3' from all parts I already had on hand. Then a week after getting 27 chicks, another 54 chicks came a week later so I had to build another one. That one was 4' X 2 1/2'. The plus side is that you don't have to worry about temperature. With all the open space, they can find their comfort zone.
I originally used two 250 watt infrared lamps. So even if one broke or burned out, there is still have heat. I've used them when internal building temperature was down to 30F with no problems.
Since then, I've started using ceramic heat emitters so I can provide the chicks with a daily dark period. The wattage of those varied depending on the ambient temperature.
Make sure to fill the top with pine shavings or else they lose too much heat through the top plywood.
The only downside is that with lots of chicks, it is difficult to observe all of them checking for pasted vents.
I don't know how many chicks you are brooding but a Premier 1 heat plate is much more efficient if you don't need to brood 100+ chicks or if the ambient temperature is extremely cold.
In a single brooding or so, a Premier heat plate will pay for itself in energy savings over the Ohio brooder with two 250s.