Pimp My Brooder

[LadyVictorian]

I don't have my brooder yet but I am getting it ready for February/March when I shall be getting chicks. So Far I have the basics set up with a few more things I need to get. Having raised pocket pets my whole life I modified the bin cages I use to make for mice, gerbils, and hamsters. It is very successfully cat and dog proof so neither animal can get inside with a locked lid. I am getting a thermometer for it and maybe hanging a feather duster for the babies to sleep under and put in some low perches so they can start teaching themselves how to perch. Also going to build a stand for the heat lamp to put it back more but ensure it won't fall over. Any other tips you can give me? Oh, also getting small bricks to put the food and water containers off the ground too. Going to be using wood shavings as bedding.

 

[azygous]

My advice is to check out this method of heating chicks https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update which is much better and much safer than using a heat lamp.

Then check out my article I wrote for BYC on brooding chicks outdoors. It's linked below.

Probably since the last time you thought about raising chicks, there have been some new ideas on better ways to do it.

 

[LadyVictorian]

I will have to brood them indoors as I live in MN and we are in the dead of winter well into April most years now a days and even in Fen/March can get into the negatives. Even my horses struggle in our weather. They would get moved outdoors later on when it warms up more/they are bigger.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would use a lower watt bulb. 125 watts at the most, probably less after the first week depending on room temperature. You will probably need to hang it higher than that. I hang mine from the ceiling. Your chicks might outgrow that box by 3 weeks depending on how many you are getting.

I get mine in late May here in Wisconsin, that way they can go outside during the day pretty quick. Do you have a coop to move them too? Chicks can get bored after about the third week and can start pecking each other if they have nothing to do and not enough room to move.

 

[LadyVictorian]

Yeah lamp is going up higher, I am building a stand for it. It is there so the cat will leave it alone or he chews on everything not attached to the floor or wall. Probably not getting any more than 4-6 chickens either, starting small this year and building onto the flock later on.

We already have a coop set up, it's actually a refurbished horse barn, two stall where our mares use to be kept when they foaled (old Arabian breeding farm/training facility) It attaches to a small indoor arena as well as an outdoor pasture. The place the chickens are going are the two stalls. For now we will keep them in one stall since the stalls are large (due to space needed for mares to foal and to keep mares and foals indoors). Got our roosts already put up and a working water pump inside. Once the chickens are bigger we will probably open them up out of the stall and into the indoor arena as well and eventually the small outdoor arena we sectioned off for them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like you have a good plan in place. I'm excited for you. Chicken keeping is a fun hobby.

 

[LadyVictorian]

When I was younger we raised some chickens for meat so never really got attached to them since my dad was a hard core country fella and all animals fell into two groups, food and horses. xD

We have had a few rescues from my old neighbors since he always had chickens but never took care of them. We had a Polish hen come live with us about 6 months and then his dog chewed through it's leash and ended up in our yard, attacked our dog, and killed our Polish hen Somba. The other was our red star hen who came over because she wanted to eat the horses feed in the morning and no matter how many times we chassed her off she was right back the next day so finally my mom opened the horse barn door for her one night and told her to go to bed...and she did. We had her from that day on until two years back. Someone was watching the farm in the winter and forgot to close the big barn door to the horse barn. That year we had reports of coyote's coming up to houses and eating peoples pet cats and dogs. Welp...one got our hen Tiki. We were really upset by that and finally convinced the family we needed more chickens. We miss the fresh eggs and more importantly we miss our opinionated little feathered diva yelling at us for not getting her salad to her fast enough. We made sure to fix up this barn too now. It's already all concrete floor so nothing can dig in unless they can chew through concrete. Going to lay the dirt down with the rubber mats and shavings over the top of that like with our mares. It's all insulated and has all the electrical working with lights and plugins. We predator proofed it to no ends AND THIS TIME the #1 rule is never assume it's okay to leave any doors open once the sun starts going down. Even our current dog has been chasing coyote's out of our yard this winter already. Luckily she is a big impressive Doberman and really gives them a second thought about hanging around. Unlike our last Doberman she isn't keen on eating farmyard animals either, even plays with my pet rats so I think we will have her watch the hens when they free rang and let her play guardian of them during the day.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You do have everything covered, and already know how much fun chickens can be. Your birds should be really happy. I have dealt with coyotes and they aren't fun, I lost a few good birds to them over the years.

 

[LadyVictorian]

It's good to hear I am starting off on the right foot with my chicks. I tend to do a load of research on new animals I am going to work with (animal husbandry is sort of my life) but it's always great to make sure I talk to some people who have been raising that animal since people always have little things to add you don't normally find in books of magazines. I always thing of books as a starting point but human feedback is best. Now to just be patient until I can get my chicks. It's not that easy >.<

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I love information too. Too many people get animals than figure it out afterwards.

I am guilty of learning some chicken lessons the hard way. Number one thing to remember with chickens is the more room the better, there can never be too much, chickens need to keep busy and hustle up their own food at times and most problems are from crowding or boredom, the rest can be done in many different ways based on how you want to keep them.

I am also bad at waiting too.