Starting a brooder for the first time

Date sort Score sort
Thank you everybody! I'm glad I have a site like this on the internet to go and talk to others that enjoy doing the same things you do, thanks again everybody!
thumbsup.gif
 
Hey, good luck with everything. You're going to need it! Haha, just kidding. Glad you like the site and can't wait to hear of your endeavors
big_smile.png
 
Are you hatching your own or ordering?

I'm using a plywood box for my first hatch. Due feb 11th! :D Oak leaves from our 784.5 million oak trees (Ok, maybe not quite that many...) as bedding with an old sheet over it for the first few days to help prevent "splayed leg". I've made a perch out of scrap wood and toilet paper rolls. We'll see if it works. If not I have another idea. That will encourage them to roost when they are older. I'll be putting lots of "chick toys" in it. Rocks, sticks, occasional bugs, etc. I'm going to put a sand bath in the brooder also. I'm going to lay bird netting (Like you use to cover plants in you garden so birds won't eat them) over the top of the brooder so the little peepers won't escape.
Putting your waterer on a brick will keep more of the shavings/bedding out of it. Congrats and good luck on the chicks! :)
 

Ok... I built this brooder in an hour. .. It is 4x2 box.

I purchased 3- 2x2x8fts, had them cut in half at the home improvement store (LOWES)
And also 2- 2x2x8fts, cut in 2 foot sections. The wood cost was $7 and some change, cut free. I had screws already

Got some chicken wire and card board. Poster board will work, enough to cover all the sides and the bottom. I had an old hdtv box still that made a great back and bottom.

Putting the box together, I built 3- 2footx4foot frames. Put a 2 foot 2x2 in the center of the frame for the bottom and the frame for the top, none for the lid, then I put the last 4 2x2x2fts to the frames to make the box. Is it perfect? not remotely.
I then chicken wired the whole thing, as I have dogs. Then I put the cardboard on the back and the bottom, used posterboard on the sides, and the front I ended up cutting the posterboard into sections to make it like a frame to help keep woodchips in and drafts out. The brooder lamp I hooked to the center 2x2, then was able to raise it as needed. I set the food and water up on a peice of 2x6 to help keep it out of the shavings... I found however, that it doesn't matter. They will figure out how to completely fill the chick waterer with poop and shavings and scratch all their feed out of the chick feeder... SO, I put them in low baking pans to help conserve food. The water... Well, you will see.

So all in all, aprox $8 for wood. $13 for a 25 foot roll of chicken wire. $4 for a red heat light (clear are cheaper, but can be more problematic with chicks picking each other from the constant light, so spend the $2 more and get the red) and $8 from the brooder clamp light, and about $3 in poster board. I can reuse this box for several hatches now, so $36 bucks for the brooder. It held 12 chicks very comfortable for 5 weeks. They are now in their new coop with their heat lamp for a few more weeks till they get used to being outside...

Welcome to BYC and Have fun!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom