Tips from one newbie to another

[SomeChickinTN]

Line your brooder box with slightly overlapping rows of paper towels. When you go to clean it, you can just roll up the rows and toss them in your open bag.

When relining the box, put a handful of feed, or cornmeal if they are old enough, on the first strip of paper towels, and then they will (mostly) stay out of your way while you finish cleaning it out.

Tiny little Tupperware bowls can be used as containers for grit or dirt, though they will eventually dump it.

If you have been socializing them or feeding them out of your hand, eventually they will go nuts just at the sight of you.

A 75 watt bulb works fine for small batches. Don't stress too much over the "just right" temp. They will let you know if they are cold. Incidentally, if you also have never seen a heat lamp before, if the temp is fluctuating because the lamp won't stay, there is a wing nut on it..... don't ask.

And, be prepared to want all.the.chickens...

 

[aart]

When relining the box, put a handful of feed, or cornmeal if they are old enough, on the first strip of paper towels, and then they will (mostly) stay out of your way while you finish cleaning it out.

I put em in a bucket..

or a bin...

 

[chickens really]

I put em in a bucket..
View attachment 1602780


or a bin...
View attachment 1602781

......

 

[Acre4Me]

For the first few days, I use puppy pee pads to line the brooder. Absorbent, not slick (so legs won’t splay), clean white background to better keep an eye on chicks and droppings. Also, they are 20”x20” so a good size. After a few days and everyone is eating, drinking, and existing well, then replace with shavings.

 

[50-45-1]

When i was new to baby chicks i designed a system and still use it now.
I grab a large box from work or the grocery store and cut the top flanges off. This is the bottom of my brooder. I layer many layers of newspaper on the spot i want my brooder. I cut the top hole in the box, sometimes the entire top, sometimes not to keep the box strength.
i have the heat lamp type that clamps to something. I use the edge of the box. I expect to keep the chicks inside for a minimum of two weeks, so i have about 4 different watages of light bulbs from 100 to 40 watt to adjust to temperature requirements. I gage by the chick behavior more than thermometer. First few days i use paper towel. After that shavings.
Each day i tip the front side up slightly and slide about 3 layers of the top newspaper out from under the box and add wood shavings (not saw dust). I put the feed and water up on small blocks of wood as when the chicks become more active they fowl the water by kicking shavings into it.
This method works good for me. I drew a rough diagram.