what are good ideas for non-expensive brooders?

[Coopedup:p]

is there a type of light you can get at walmart , tractor supply, lowes. or anyother place where the light has a dial where you can set the heat or somthing..... and no, i wont use the oven! haha

 

[faykokoWV]

first batch of chicks I used a baby pool and took one of the screens off my window to cover it so they wouldn't hop out. That was good for about 2 weeks, probably could have gotten 3 weeks out of it. Then we moved them outside into the outdoor brooder. The most recent batch I put in the bathtub. Very very dusty! but it worked for 3 weeks, now they are outside in the outdoor brooder


By the way, the "outdoor brooder" is a home made dog crate someone was throwing away and we picked it up. Its about 3x8 and works fantastic. We just stapled a tarp around 3/4 of it to cut down on wind and contain the heat.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

For anyone brooding chicks inside, a product was recommended by another BYC member this week for odor control. Cozy 'N Fresh Pellets from TSC. It is $5.99 per 20# bag. It smells just as fresh in the brooder as it did when I put it in 5 days ago. I will use this from now on in all my brooders, inside or out.

Marty

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Here's mine.

 

[mzfancichicks]

I don't mean to just jump in, but I work at a recycle center and someone brought in a ice cream cooler (the kind you see at gas stations by the check out), the guys took out the motor for me. It has wheels, it's insulated inside and the doors that slide on top have plexiglass. I used it for the last couple of weeks and it works great.
I've found a lot of reusable stuff at the recycle center. You may ask them to keep an eye out for you and call you if something comes in.

 

[acdoc]

I took a 50 gallon plastic drum cut the top and bottom off then cut it in half . now you have two

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Coopedup :

is there a type of light you can get ...where the light has a dial where you can set the heat or something.....

Perhaps there's a plug-in dimmer switch you could plug your light into, or if you're electrically handy, install one on the wire of your heat lamp.

All I use for heat is a goose-neck desk lamp with a 60-watt bulb. I place a grate over the box & set the lamp face-down on it. It's not so crucial to have the whole box at one precise temperature. It's better to have the heat on one end of the box so the chicks can move in & out of the hot spot at will. They'll run around, eating & scratching, then move into the light to re-warm themselves.

I don't use a thermometer, just watch the chicks' behavior. If they're huddled under the light without moving, the box is too cold, if they're jammed up on the other end it's too hot, if they're acting all right & moving all around, it's just right.​

 

[RAWR]

Quote:
we used the rubbermade totes xD

 

[wing it]

yake a look here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

 

[Mahonri]

I've gone with a large cardboard box in a dog crate. I keep the light at one end. If they want to get warm they go there, if they want to cool down the come to the other end.