Where is the best place to keep a brooder?

[CoolClucker]

Either will work for the top, mess...there will be a mess, what you can do is clean it up here and there. Yes a heat lamp has to be on at all times. If you keep it up and away from anything it could catch on fire then you will be just fine. What are you brooding in?

I was thinking of one of those giant plastic containers. They come with a lid and are inexpensive and durable and thought it'd be easy to clean. I was going to cut away some of the lid and add mesh to allow airflow.