Suggestions for Making a Cozy Outside Brooder

[IndigoJaguar]

My babies are about three weeks old and well feathered. I want to move them outside as soon as possible. I have a greenhouse covered in tarp on two sides and open with chicken wire on the other two. What should I put in there to move four week olds outside? Is it too cold even with a heat lamp? It has been being about 40-50 degrees here during the day. Could anyone give me a layout and what they need and what to make sure NOT to do? Brooder box? Floor? Walls? Bedding? Night time? Day time?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

You can see pictures of our large outdoor brooder on the "my page" link in my sig and I'm adding pictures right now of our new outdoor winter brooder. We've brooded chicks when the night temps dropped into the lower thirties in the big one with tarps added at night and on colder days.

 

[craziechick]

I keep mine in a section of my coop under a heat lamp.

started in this

then this

 

[IndigoJaguar]

Hey! Thanks! I think I will put my cardboard box in there and wrap it in insulation. Then I am going to put a heat lamp in there at night and a heater at night.

 

[andalusn]

At 1 week I moved my peeps to the barn. They have a wooden box that is solid on all sides except the top. That is my chicken wire, wood framed doors/lid. It's about 10 feet in length and 2 feed wide with a screen divider so I can run two hatches at a time in it. last year I hung a light over the top. Plenty of room for long feeder and the 1 gallon gravity feed water bowl. This time around I added an EcoGlo brooder and eliminated the heat lamp. It's working great. When not housing peeps my hens like to lay eggs in it

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

This is my out side brooder that is 4 x 12. The yellow box is isulated with a black light on the inside and covered in vinyl so they don't pick at it. There is a remote thermometer in there that can be read in the house. There is another outside light with play steps at different levels. I moved them out there at 2 wks. Three of them are 1 wk and they are all doing great but then this is Florida.

 

[IndigoJaguar]

Ooo. I like it!

Beautiful brooder!
Ecoglo.....checking that out.
It has been very cold here in Indiana, and I am wondering if I put my chicks out with a heat lamp, will they run back under it when they get too cold....with a whole greenhouse to explore?

 

[briteday]

Mine pretty much started out staying under the light. And then as they get more comfortable with the new surroundings, the chicks will spend more time wandering around away from the heat lamp.

 

[Kathi D]

Aren't you glad you saved those Coke crates now that they have been replaced with just a piece of cardboard? I have a stack of them and I use them just as you do--so many ways to use them with chickens!


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[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Wish I had a few more. I use them for nest boxes too.