BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

[CreveChris]

I make videos to document my progress, so here is my brooder video, with a bonus chick video I made today, because you gotta when crested breeds hit the one month mark. Crevecoeurs go through a punk phase

 

[halefamily_flock]

Cute! Very similar to our laundry room brooder, and pretty much how we will be bedding down our chicks at night in the new coop we're almost done building. Tractor by day very soon, since we just hit one month.

Love those cones! Do they work well? I have the heater protector plastic I wash every morning.

Yes, the cones work well. They get dusty, but not poopy. The only issue I had once was the heater was against the inside wall of the tub and a chick flew up & got stuck on top, between the heater cone and the wall, for a little while. Now, I always leave a chick-sized opening all around the heating plate.

 

[CreveChris]

Yes, the cones work well. They get dusty, but not poopy. The only issue I had once was the heater was against the inside wall of the tub and a chick flew up & got stuck on top, between the heater cone and the wall, for a little while. Now, I always leave a chick-sized opening all around the heating plate.

Good idea. Poor little chicks I fuss over them because they really need a mama to rescue thrm constantly.

 

[SamSpice]

This is the brooder that my husband built for the 25 meat birds we raised. We made it 4 weeks befor we had to move then. I guess I just went a little overboard with the number of the chicks. But honestly those home raised birds were the best chicken I have ever eaten. We made it from a shipping crate our wood splitter came in. So we added sides and made a top from screen. Obviously we put vinyl on the floor.

 

[Acre4Me]

This is the brooder that my husband built for the 25 meat birds we raised. We made it 4 weeks befor we had to move then. I guess I just went a little overboard with the number of the chicks. But honestly those home raised birds were the best chicken I have ever eaten. We made it from a shipping crate our wood splitter came in. So we added sides and made a top from screen. Obviously we put vinyl on the floor.

Similar to ours: solid sides, vinyl floor, mesh wire top. Works great!!

 

[frostic]

I started with this:

then this 4 boxes fused together

 

[Thailander]

Built this simple duckling brooder for some Muscovy eggs that are in the incubator now. Should be super easy to clean, just remove the basket with ducklings and wash them down with a spray attachment on the garden hose, (once they are over a week old) Roll the garden tote to the garden, dump out the water from the bottom, refill with clean water to make them a a swimming pool, and reinsert the basket to let them play. After playtime remove basket of ducklings, dump out the dirty water, replace the basket full of ducklings. and roll it back under the heat lamp. No need for any litter and can leave an inch or two of water on the bottom to reduce odors from their poop. That, at least, is the theory.

 

[aart]

That, at least, is the theory.

Decent theory...except maybe the water reducing odor.
Kinda small tho, might not hold them for long.

 

[Thailander]

Decent theory...except maybe the water reducing odor.
Kinda small tho, might not hold them for long.

Yeah, not sure if the water will hold down the odors for long. But at least it will keep the fresh poo from drying and sticking to the bottom.

I agree the basket makes the brooder much smaller. Then again, I'm hoping to move them out of the brooder and into the chicken tractor after a couple weeks. Our overnight lows are in the mid-70's now, highs mid-90s. Not sure a heat lamp will be needed after the first 2-3 weeks? Otherwise, may need to remove the basket and go back to rice husk litter for the final stage.

 

[HoldMeCloserTinyRaptor]

Built a brooder for a few chicks I’m getting tomorrow. Can’t wait!