used Brooder questions

We recently aquired an old wire brooder that came from an unknown source. What I'm wondering is maybe someone got rid of it because all their chicks got sick and died, so would the brooder still carry whatever they had? It's been unused for at least a few months, and will remain unused till spring. It may not even be a chick brooder, but an old dog pen or something.(I've never seen a brooder like that before, and it has two rooms connected by an interior door.)