show me your dog crate baby brooders

[joneus]

Hmm... I never even thought of using the dog crate, LOL!

I was just going to put a heat lamp and a layer of newspaper in the other half of the 55g aquarium I'm using as an incubator. I figure that, when everyone is done hatching and the incubation area has been sanitized, I can turn the incubator into a brooder and then cut a "door" in the styrofoam divider so they can go in and out of their "mini coop".

Will that work?

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Quote:
A 250 would be WAYYYY too warm. I have that now and its too warm. Whatever you do get a red one and hang it on the outside. better more chilly then baked.

 

[jenkassai]

This is PERFECT!!! I had been looking for a storage tote that I thought would be big enough for the brooder (7 chicks), but we already have plenty of 36"x42" dog crates, and it can stack on top of one of the ones we already keep set up for the dogs. Does anyone cover the top with a towel or blanket to hold heat in? Or will having cardboard on the sides and hanging the lamp inside the crate keep enough heat in? Guess I'd better get busy and start experimenting so it's ready to go when the chicks get here (5/31)

 

[smcjoj3]

this is our XL dog crate. The chickens use the roosts I put up, which I wasn't really expecting. I have a strip of cardboard across the bottom of the door, which you cant see in the picture. (I still have shavings all over the carpet though.) - I have also reconfigured the water placement, further away from the light and up higher to keep it clean longer.

I have to say I prefer it to the original brooder that I had which was a huge Rubbermaid tub. This keeps everyone who is suppose to be in the brooder in....and everyone who shouldn't be in there out of it. (kids, cats, dog, ect.) The downside of this for me has been cleaning. it's just bulkier and I feel like scooping out the dirty bedding is a pain. As to where the smaller tub was a easier dump & lighter to pickup.

 

[tiffanyg2]

Quote:
Wish I would have thought of the cardboard idea! It would have saved me from a big mess

Hahaha

 

[tiffanyg2]

This is temporary~ I'm almost done with the Coop!

 

[maclady]

Ok here is my dog crate brooder. Used a 250watt red lamp in an unheated garage from Feb 19th until I put them outside at 8 weeks. I made a hanging support from scrap 2x4s to elevate the lamp as they got older because it will otherwise stay to warm inside the brooder.

 

[WVChickenFarmer]

I love all the pictures of the dog crate brooders. I think I'm going use mine as a brooder. I will just have go out and get me some cardboard.

 

[alchik]

Wow, some very creative ideas here!

 

[cackler]

I have a broody sitting on 20 eggs. I am hoping that i can use my dog kennel like on here for her to hatch her brood. I would like to cover it with hardware mesh to keep snakes out. Would this be large enough for a week or two for all of them? I just need to let them grow some so they can be big enough to not be taken by snakes.