BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[Jmpeters]

Here's a few pics of the new brooder I'm working on. Still have some finishing touches to do but its in working order.

 

[dolfi]

Here's a few pics of the new brooder I'm working on. Still have some finishing touches to do but its in working order.

what is it made of?

 

[Jmpeters]

It was one of these 275 gal totes. A local tree service gets them for the metal framing to put split wood in. He throws away the plastic tote part, so I asked for one.

Found one that didnt have anything bad in it and cut the top off so itll fit sideways thru the door. It was super flimsy after that. Made a hinged wood and hardware cloth lid for it, which made it super sturdy. Then realized I didnt like not being able to see in it unless im standing over it. So cut a hole and put door in the front.

 

[pawtraitart]

Here's a few pics of the new brooder I'm working on. Still have some finishing touches to do but its in working order.

What a great idea!! Looks really nice! It should be easy to clean since it's not made out of wood on the inside.

 

[Jmpeters]

Thank you. That was my thoughts exactly. I made the lid so itll just pop on and off and the doors will take bout 30 seconds with a drill to remove. Then I can take it out and pressure wash it if I have too.

I thought it was an original idea but while making It, I got online to get ideas and seen someone else beat me to the idea.

 

[momofthehouse]

Here's my brooder. We used a trough that's been lying around (it had only ever held ice and soft drinks from a family fun day I volunteered at last year). One day as I was brainstorming over what to use for a brooder, I glanced over and the light bulb magically went off. We made a double sided, screened in top so you can access one side without having to open up the whole thing. We built two seperate screened-in panels, hinged them together, and voila! The perfect lid! We attached the scrap end of wood after sawing to all the sides so the lid cannot be knocked out of whack and fall into the brooder. To get in, we can lift the one side or even slide it back without fear of upsetting the balance and squishing the wee ones.

Right now we have a wooden divider in the middle as the 6 little ones hardly need the whole trough yet, but that is easily removed as they grow. It's been working wonderfully so far--it seems to really hold the heat in as the lamp has to be pulled up pretty far or else it gets way too hot in there.

(Sorry for the mess around it, I had been disinfecting the garage with those nifty little wipes)

How long were you able to keep them in this and can you tell me the size of this trough?

 

[Sonya9]

Here is our brooder from last year...(actually my friend's but ours looks the same)




I think that next time around I'm getting this one....the dog kennel worked fine but cleaning it was a b*%$#!!! I had to crawl inside w/ a shop vac hose....ewww I like the idea of a slide out tray and I'd add some pieces of wood scraps for them to sit on when little.

http://www.thegardencoop.com/chicken-brooders.html

I am also going to use a wire dog crate and they already have a slide out tray built in! I just put the cardboard outside of the tray so the tray still moves in and out easily. Nice thing about using a dog crate (besides it being free since I have extras) is that they are "dog proof" so the chicks will have an extra layer of protection in case a canine tries anything crazy.

 

[momofthehouse]

I am also going to use a wire dog crate and they already have a slide out tray built in! I just put the cardboard outside of the tray so the tray still moves in and out easily. Nice thing about using a dog crate (besides it being free since I have extras) is that they are "dog proof" so the chicks will have an extra layer of protection in case a canine tries anything crazy.

I was reading that your brooder should be rounded though? This way when the chicks get scared and pile on each other they dont suffocate the bottom layer.

 

[hollymh]

So I actually use a pet playpen, I wash it with vinegar to disinfect after each brood,.Its really wonderful and gives the birds a good amount of space, aeration, and then collapses down when I don't need it! The heat lamp look precariously close the side but its actually not just the way I took the pic I suppose

 

[Sonya9]

I was reading that your brooder should be rounded though? This way when the chicks get scared and pile on each other they dont suffocate the bottom layer.

I read that too, makes sense. I am only getting 3 chicks, if I were getting a whole bunch I would worry about the suffocation risk which I assume is primarily due to the weight of the chicks on top of the pile. Seems a lot of the smaller brooders are in fact square.