Ideas for making a brooder???

Relle · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:50 pm

Does anyone have any ideas for making a home made brooder :?:

I need to get a bigger brooder for when the chicks are about 2weeks and older.
I have a professional brooder, but it's only good for hatchlings mine are 2weeks old and are way to big for it already.
I have thought of getting a wardrobe and putting it on it's back and putting mesh in the doors (which will now be on the top) and placing a light for warmth. I also have an empty A frame that I could place a light in the covered end???
What do you all think????

Thanks

Relle

nevit · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:02 pm

I used a display cabinet turned on its side, had 8 chicks in it at the moment with heaps of room to play.

Fat Chook · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:15 pm

if you have a motorbike or lawnmower shop nearby they often have nice big boxes they like to get rid of

KoalaRoad · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:29 pm

What about using one of those small animal cages - you know the sort that has a plastic bottom, a wire cage on top ... add a lamp for warmth and a sheet on top to keep the heat in.

I'm using one at the moment, mind you I only have 2 x 2 day old chicks .. but I have kept 4 in there previously, and I think I had them in there until they were 6 weeks of age ..

I guess it would be depend on how many you were going to have - but for small numbers it would work ...

Relle · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:36 pm

Thanks Guys,

As I have 15 chicks I do have to go bigger rather than small, I love it motorbike box idea thanks Fat Chook it would be a perfect size and have a bottom on it I'd just have to mesh the top.

Nevit, did you mesh the doors on the cabinet? or just leave it as is?

I do have one of those small animal cages your talking about KoalaRoad and that is a great idea, but I do have too many chicks for that. I have a brooder that they are in at the moment and it's 90cm x 50cm and it's just getting too small for all of them.

Great ideas guys, Thanks

Relle

nevit · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:49 pm

Hi Relle,
yeah I meshed, its one of those tall thin display units, about 6ft by 1ft by 1ft, so I moved the legs to the sides, turned the unit so it was laying down, removed all 3 glassed sides( one side was wood, used it as the base), and replaced glass with mesh. I have brooded 6 chics in it in the pass, up to 10weeks, by 6 weeks they spent a lot of time outside, just went back in to sleep and feed( it was still in my study at ten week period). my current batch of 8 have more then enough room to run and play at the moment at 1week of age. I was really lucky cause I trying to think of a way to make a bigger brooder as I was using a smaller one at the start, when one of my Nieghbours put this unit on the side of the road for pick up, so we did each other a favor, he got rid of trash, and I scored a brooder, good karma. Never know your luck Relle, good luck.

greenaus · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:56 pm

Go with the a-frame idea.

The weather is great for two week old's right now where you are.

I put four week old chicks outside back in May and they all survived it. I reckon they even progressed better because of it.

Be sure to have a plan in place for when it rains or the wind gets a bit much. Perhaps additional sheets of tin or ply, etc and a tarp or two.

nevit · **Posted:** Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:18 pm

greenaus if my had it her way our chooks would have been in the house till point of lay. :-?

imagine trying to train them to go back out to the coop to roost everynight after all they know is a brooder next to my computer.

debbieo4914 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:34 am

Hi Relle - I did the wardrobe-on-its-back thing. I have pictures in my gallery. I used one of those louvred door types, cut the louvres out of one side with a jigsaw and replaced that with mesh, cut a little hole for the light cords to come out of the top, and have left one shelf in the middle so that while the chicks are small I can have two separate sections (and therefore two groups of chicks). I currently have about 20 bantam chicks in one side of it with ample room to run around.

The whole job took me about half an hour to complete - so easy!!!

When my chicks are big enough (and the weather consistently warm enough) I do take mine to an outside A-frame type play pen for the day as I think sunlight is important for growing chicks.

Deb :-D

Relle · **Posted:** Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:43 am

Thanks Guys,

I did the A frame idea and they are enjoying it. I have placed it in my chicken shed so they don't get any drafts and placed a light in one end for warmth in they need it.

I will also do the wardrobe idea today as I have more chicks coming through and will need it.
It's a good point also about the sunlight, as sunlight is very important for them.

Thanks for that guys

Relle

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