Rubbermaid Brooder?

[froggie71]

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We attached our light to our tripod for our telescope. This enabled us to move it up and down as need.

 

[cluckcluck42]

That's a great idea about the tripod, Thanks!!

 

[teddiliza]

You can get a clamp heat lamp with reflector at Walmart in their lighting section, near the extension cords and shop lights, and can buy a brooder bulb (at least 125 watts) from Lowes in the lightbulb section, or at your local farm store- get red if you can so they chicks play nicer with each other. If you're desperate and can't find anything, you can go to a pet store and find heat bulbs and lamps in the reptile section. Just make sure you have a thermometer to keep the babies at 90-95 degrees the first week and drop the temp by raising the lamp every week by 5 degrees.

I have a huge 100 gallon 3 ft long rubbermaid which I cover the top with 20 inch wide, 4 ft long wire rubbermaid closet shelving/garage wire shelving, and the heat lamp goes directly on it. If it's really cold, I cover half of the wire shelf with a towel to reduce drafts- keeping it well away from the lamp. It's better than getting cut up by the hardware cloth! The spacing between the wires on the shelving I use is too small for a mouse to crawl through, or a snake!

I've kept mine in the house for the first 2 weeks in the brooder box and use paper towels for the first week, then pine shavings after that first week to cut down the smell. I usually elevate their waterer and feeder on a large flat 1 or 2 inch brick to keep them from getting buried in the shavings by happy chicks. But by week 3, they start getting smelly- even with frequent litter changes, so they go in the garage with the heat lamp and pine shavings, with a radiator space heater in the garage.

Here's a pic of mine. I have 2 heat lamps in case a bulb burns out.

 

[MissAnnieFrannie]

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This sounds like the best route for me

happy chicking everyone!

 

[KathyK]

Just ordered my first peeps from Ideal and will be driving there to pick them up on 2/10. I'm so excited. Reading all I can to prepare. I have a question about lamps. I plan to keep the babies in my garage where it may get down into the 40's at night. What size heat lamp should I get? I don't want to cook them with a 250 watt bulb if it will be too hot. I hope to get a rubbermaid container-type setup and place the light on top of hardware cloth. Then raise as the grow up. How many watts should I get to keep it the correct temperature? Thanks

 

[Madcap621]

I would get a 125w to 150w. A 250w really puts out the heat! Don't want to burn your babies up!

You can always cover the 'cool' end w/a blanket or rug. If the garage floor is concrete, use something between it and the bottom of your brooder. Another option would be to get a thermocube 35-45 and plug in a second 100 watt bulb to come on if the temp drops. Set up early and do practice runs with your set up and a thermometer at chick level so It's right when they get there. Good Luck!

How many are you getting?

 

[KathyK]

I'm getting 11. I only wanted 6 to start with, but they told me the minimum was $25.00 in birds and that was for pickup in addition to shipping minimum. I will see if I am able to part with some of them after they get here. I have a feeling they all will be staying.

So, what is a thermocube? I have a friend loaning me a 55 gallon aquarium. Do you think that would work okay instead of plastic? I could partition it off smaller to start with.

 

[Madcap621]

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A ThermoCube is a plug in thermostat with 2 outlets that will turn on power at a pre-set temp [I use the one that turns on at 35* and off @ 45*] and off at another. My Lowes and Home Depot doesn't carry them [live in TN with usually mild Winters - this winter is an exception] so I ordered mine fro Drs. Foster & Smith

 

[bigdawg]

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Thanks for the pics and of course the bonus bunny pic.

Do you use paper towel? How often do you have to change it? Is it a decent bedding? We were thinking of using some old linen.

i line the bottom with paper towels, then i cover it with rubber shelf liner that you would use in cabinets. lots of traction for the chicks. when it gets dirty just take it out and give it a good shake. or you can use a good yard sale vaccum cleaner and suck up the mess. chicks out of course

 

[nuts4chickens]

I have used rubber maid containers, too. But the last time we had chicks, I went to the Habitat for Humanity building supply store and found an old wall- mountable cabinet for $10 and cut out the center of the doors and replaced with wire mesh. We used the "back" of the cabinet as the bottom so the doors would be on top. It worked out great and was a little bigger than the rubbermaid containers, so the chicks didnt outgrow it as quickly. wish i had a pic. Got the idea from someone else on here.