I thought I’d share my brooder and walk you through the process of setting it up.
The ducklings are due to arrive this Thursday so as of now it’s still clean and empty of babies. Hopefully the latter bit changes soon- not so sure I’m excited for it to get messy though 
Brooder:
I chose to use a large dog crate this year because when I first tried it, last June, I found it to be extremely easy to clean, and had the perfect amount of room for my chicks to grow and move around. It’s also a double door, giving me full snd complete access to all parts of the brooder, which is a must have.
Cookie Sheet:
Next I out in the cookie sheet. This is super helpful especially when raising waterfowl, who are especially messy when it comes to water. Ducklings will soak their bedding if the waterer is laid directly on top of it, so I try and prevent that by putting both their food and water on a cookie sheet that catches all spills and messes
Feeder and Waterer:
The feeder I use is the UFO feeder. It’s easy, cheap, and available at almost all farm stores. This isn’t something ducklings or chicks can tip over and spill. Remember to screw on a mason jar to the top, although I recommend not to fill it with feed, it prevents ducklings from jumping in the hole and pooping inside.
For water, ducklings will need something to dunk their whole heads, also something that will be easy to clean and remove. With all of this in mind I went with the basic gravity waterer available at farm stores. Like the feeder, it is cheap, and easy to use.
Bedding:
If you know me, you know I love to experiment with new things! In the past I’ve always used shavings, but this time I wanted to try puppy pads and generate some feedback on the option for others looking to use them. As of now I have nothing further to say about them, but am excited to see what I learn from the experience.
Heat Source:
I’m using the Ecoglow by Brinsea for the second year, and so far what I have to say about it is all positive! After having used only heat lamps in the past, this was a big change for me, but eventually I got used to the idea and would never go back. It’s cheaper to run, imitates a mother hen, and can be adjusted to almost any desired height. Works for all types of poultry.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you got some good ideas for your own brooder
Brooder:
I chose to use a large dog crate this year because when I first tried it, last June, I found it to be extremely easy to clean, and had the perfect amount of room for my chicks to grow and move around. It’s also a double door, giving me full snd complete access to all parts of the brooder, which is a must have.
Cookie Sheet:
Next I out in the cookie sheet. This is super helpful especially when raising waterfowl, who are especially messy when it comes to water. Ducklings will soak their bedding if the waterer is laid directly on top of it, so I try and prevent that by putting both their food and water on a cookie sheet that catches all spills and messes
The feeder I use is the UFO feeder. It’s easy, cheap, and available at almost all farm stores. This isn’t something ducklings or chicks can tip over and spill. Remember to screw on a mason jar to the top, although I recommend not to fill it with feed, it prevents ducklings from jumping in the hole and pooping inside.
For water, ducklings will need something to dunk their whole heads, also something that will be easy to clean and remove. With all of this in mind I went with the basic gravity waterer available at farm stores. Like the feeder, it is cheap, and easy to use.
Bedding:
If you know me, you know I love to experiment with new things! In the past I’ve always used shavings, but this time I wanted to try puppy pads and generate some feedback on the option for others looking to use them. As of now I have nothing further to say about them, but am excited to see what I learn from the experience.
Heat Source:
I’m using the Ecoglow by Brinsea for the second year, and so far what I have to say about it is all positive! After having used only heat lamps in the past, this was a big change for me, but eventually I got used to the idea and would never go back. It’s cheaper to run, imitates a mother hen, and can be adjusted to almost any desired height. Works for all types of poultry.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you got some good ideas for your own brooder
. Your setup looks great and I think the pan will help greatly. Once I moved them to the shop in a kiddie pool I used a mix of pads and shavings. The pads get gross fast and I have found the nibble on them, but they do absorb all the water better.
I’m hoping it works well for you
