The Ultimate Brooder Design! BUILT-IN DUST FILTER

[ChitownChick]

My husband and I are designers and fabricators, so we decided to take our brooder to the next level this year. It came out really well so I thought I'd share with you guys!

We keep the chicks in a spare bedroom that I use as a dressing room/big closet. Last year I realized that the chicks were *far* too dusty to keep near my clothing unchecked, so this year we created an air-filtering hood above the brooder. Despite it's simplicity (just a box fan and HEPA filter!) it is amazingly effective, it even eliminates most of the odor. I got the idea from this Youtube video. Supposedly this filter eliminates 90% of airbourne particles and I have to say my experience confirms this.

We welded together a metal lid and braised on some hardware cloth and latch to keep kitties away. Welded on some hinges and latch too.

Recently we added a plexiglass window which helps us visually bond with the babies! Them being able to see us has got them used to us much much faster. It also means that the cats can stress out the chicks easier (just the sight of a cat will frighten the babies), so we have to keep the cats out.

We always enrich the brooder with an "obstacle course" of perches, ramps, and platforms. I find this helps the chicks develop some athleticism that continues into adulthood, promotes fitness and playfulness that helps them as adults.

This large brooder also doubles as our quarantine pen, at which point we call it the "re-coop" lol or "re-cooperator" (we have to remove all the tiny perches and such when we bring a big ol' hen into it, obviously).

Hope you guys like it, plz let me know if you have any ideas for improvements (I want it to be easier to clean), or if you want more detailed instructions of how we made it! I consider myself an "inventor" and I find homesteading to be my number one inspiration, so please let me know if there are any issues you have that need solving etc. It's great for me to learn and I'd like to be helpful to the community

Also, quick poll: if I were to create a brooder/re-coop kit, that has all the pre-fab parts and instructions to assemble, would that be a product y'all would be interested in? If so, about how much would you pay for it? Trying to find a way to make this into a little business

I think the air filter is what makes this design super choice and special.

 

[aart]

Wonders....
Does HEPA capture odors?
What kinda CFM does that skinny box fan move?
How long until that HEPA panel clogs, reducing the CFM below levels of efficiency?
That's a lot of large particle dust for a HEPA filter to handle for long.
Might think about a coarser filter before the HEPA to catch the bigger stuff first.
Am familiar with HEPA's from designing manufacturing equipment layouts and barriers used in bio/particulate clean rooms(pharmaceutical parenterals).

How long until you move the chicks to the outside coop?
I now move mine out to coop at 1 week after hatch,
I do not miss the dust and odors.
I'm sure it's helping keep your clothes closet cleaner,
kudos(!) on that and I'll bet it was fun to design/build,
but not sure it's marketable without more testing and data.

 

[ChitownChick]

Wonders....
Does HEPA capture odors?
What kinda CFM does that skinny box fan move?
How long until that HEPA panel clogs, reducing the CFM below levels of efficiency?
That's a lot of large particle dust for a HEPA filter to handle for long.
Might think about a coarser filter before the HEPA to catch the bigger stuff first.
Am familiar with HEPA's from designing manufacturing equipment layouts and barriers used in bio/particulate clean rooms(pharmaceutical parenterals).

How long until you move the chicks to the outside coop?
I now move mine out to coop at 1 week after hatch,
I do not miss the dust and odors.
I'm sure it's helping keep your clothes closet cleaner,
kudos(!) on that and I'll bet it was fun to design/build,
but not sure it's marketable without more testing and data.

Good suggestions. The odors are indeed greatly reduced, but I wouldn't say completely eliminated. The HEPA filter does seem like it could use a change now, it's been about 3 weeks of the chicks being very active, kicking up dust, etc. Considering that these filters aren't exactly cheap, it's a concern.

As for the cfm, I'm not sure. Maybe I could find specs associated with the model. It's a good question but, do you think it matter so much, considering it's placement directly over brooder?

So far no dust settled in my clothes or surfaces!! Success in my book but yeah, more testing needed to develop into a product. And more aesthetic / sleek design too

Thanks for the helpful feedback!!

 

[aart]

CFM was measured on both sides and used to test how loaded filter was.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

That is one heck of a brooder!
Have you thought of adding a door over the plexiglas, so you can cover the chicks when you aren't watching them? (Seems easier than making sure the cats aren't around all the time)
As far as interest goes, I think your product is awesome, but as small flock owner (three broodings this spring), my brooder gets less use than the incubator (though more than 1 week. That is impressive aart). If i was going to pay for something of that level of prestige, i would want to get my use out of it. So for that reason i prefer my cardboard box in the garage with a couple sticks...

 

[ChitownChick]

CFM was measured on both sides and used to test how loaded filter was.

I'll look into this and see what I can hack