Outdoor brooder?

[Shiloh Acres]

I'm hoping to brood this year's ducklings outside and have been thinking of a brooder plan. Has anyone ever done this?

I was planning to build it up against the house wall, under the overhang of deep eaves. It should be fairly warm by the time I get them, but I do plan to have a brooder light for them. I will probably make the walls and roof solid, but with some removable wire mesh areas for ventilation.

I'm thinking of the floor. I had considered wire or plastic mesh for the sake of cleanliness but I'm not sure if it will be a problem with warmth (I could add an apron to prevent or cut down on updraft). I could also put bedding over the mesh, which would need more cleaning.

I also considered a dirt floor. If I do that though, I will probably want to bury a mesh bottom anyway just in case of any predator trying to dig under. I would also probably want to raise the ground around the brooder just in case we get freakishly heavy rains so no water flows in, but I can only build up so high near the foundation of the house. I have about six inches of exposed slab above ground level though so I can probably make it work. Water never stands in the yard but in VERY heavy prolonged rains it comes off the upper pasture and around the house to flow away from the front.

Any ideas, suggestions? My geese are also in that yard, so I'll have to protect the wiring from them but I think that would be the only issue. I could always put it on the north side where the baby poultry pens go and none of my animals have access there.

 

[BirdBrain]

i have been considering an outdoor brooder too, but due to the colder temps and the winds we get here, i'm not sure it will work well. I would like to see what others have come up with as well.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hi, Most of my brooders are outside . And they have been out there all winter. I use plywood sides, wire mesh bottoms, plywood tops. I enclose the heat lamps in a mesh cage, so the bulbs are less likely to break.That is always an issue, and I started putting a back up light with a 75 watt bulb in it. I did lose some chicks when bulbs burnt out, but had a pretty good winter. I just started insulating a room in the barn, and put a bank of three brooders against the wall in there. I also think you might check the index for ideas on raising chicks. Good luck, Deb

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Photos of the outside brooders, please. Sounds like a good set up for ducklies!