Would this terrarium make a (good) chick brooder?

[Chickeria]

What breed eggs you hope to get?

I ordered 8 Barred Plymouth Rock from a seller on ebay and I received 10 in the shipment. None were cracked. I just candled last night (about day 8) and it looks like for sure I have 7 growing, 3 look like not developing. Next time I candle, if they aren't growing I'll take them out.

The terrarium idea I think looks just fine but yes I think they will outgrow that pretty quickly. I agree, after raising chicks for years, it is so fun! However, getting them out pretty quickly is a good goal. They start jumping and flexing their wings pretty quickly!

I have used anything from cardboard boxes, to a make shift wooden box, a wash tub, and a dog kennel. As long as you have a heat source, dry bedding, food and water, the little critters are pretty hardy! My go to favorite is the old wash tub.

Hi Kakaruk,
I got bantam Silkie eggs. I ordered 15 from a breeder I found online and got 15, none were cracked. 1 was not fertilized, one unfortunately died around day 5 and one developped fully but never hatched (never pipped internally), I think the little one unfortunately died on day 19 (reason unknown). 12 hatched fine and are doing well (two weeks old now).

I think you are right - even being bantams they will outgrow the terrarium brooder soon. Every morning when they get up they flap their little wings while running around, doing sprints and jumps, and I can see they will definitely need more space soon. Perhaps in about a week I will relocate them into a giant cardboard box I already have.

How exciting you are hatching Barred Plymouth Rocks!
(I candled on day 7 and then on day 14, on day 14 I took the infertile one and the not developing one out.)
Fingers crossed for your eggs
Hopefully they will all hatch

 

[Rooster Giddens]

Hi Rooster Giddens, thank you!
At the moment I do have a safety cord for the waterer (after the smallest baby already greeted me from the top of it) at one of the hooks from the chains, but hangig a branch for a roost there is an excellent idea!

The chicks are very active, eat and scratch a lot (they really enjoy the pine shaving bedding):
View attachment 2621912

You've got it set up nicely! Enjoy your babies....

 

[Kakaruk]

Thanks all! Chickeria - a good move to the larger cardboard box! If it works use it! As I shared, I've used cardboard boxes too, as long as you have the other essentials.

 

[aart]

Perhaps in about a week I will relocate them into a giant cardboard box I already have.

Coop's not ready?

 

[Chickeria]

You've got it set up nicely! Enjoy your babies....

Thank you

 

[Chickeria]

Thanks all! Chickeria - a good move to the larger cardboard box! If it works use it! As I shared, I've used cardboard boxes too, as long as you have the other essentials.

Thank you Kakaruk, I will update how it works, I hope they will like it.

 

[Chickeria]

Coop's not ready?

Hi aart, coop's not ready yet. At the moment I'm confident I will manage to finish everything in time (babies are two weeks old now). But I'm a bit anxious there could be a total lockdown because of Covid again, that would mean it would be difficult to get replacement screws etc. if something doesn't work out as planned or gets broken when placed.