I may be able to get my hands on an old 4X4 playpen. It has a vinyl bottom and decently strong netting around it. I have used it as a playpen for puppies in the past and it worked OK for them. Has anyone done this?
As long as the holes in the netting aren't big enough for little bitty chicks to escape. That would be great! And, I recommend a Brinsea EcoGlow brooder (heater) instead of heat lamps? Heat lamps scare the heck out of me now, plus the light on 24/7 sucks, too. The EcoGlow units solve that problem and are far more "normal" for chicks. Just my .02
Last year that is all I used for my brooder.... used it on chickens, guineas and even ducks for a shorter period... worked great for me and I was able to put netting on top to prevent the little guys from trying to fly out....I also used a heat lamp, switching mid season to the red heat lamp. I had the vinyl pad and put puppy pads atop that with a layer of shavings...made clean up great and the little ones weren't slipping around due to that vinyl pad. I have 2 week old chickens in it now....guineas are hatching out tonight and have them in a large tote box with center part of the lid cut out and wire put in place. The tote is clear and makes it also easy to see the keets inside. I don't know what kind of heater the last person is talking about but other than a light being on 24/7, the heat lamp works great. . . wouldn't the heater have to be on 24/7 as well? ( I too used playpens for my puppies in past years)
