What Can I Use For A Brooder?

[thecreekhouse]

I currently have 5, 5 day old chicks brooding in what I thought was a sufficiently deep and long enough plastic tote. I have pine shavings on the floor and a heat lamp clamped to the side. Well today, my light Brahma, who is quite a bit bigger than the rest, flew out of the brooder. I can’t put a lid with holes in it on the brooder box now because of the heat lamp attached to the side of the box. I have ordered a Brinsea Eco Glow to replace the clamped-on light. Once I have that, do you see any problem with keeping the tote’s plastic lid - with many holes drilled into it - on top of the brooder so that the babies don’t fly out?

 

[Silkies for life]

I use a small mesh dog pen and it works great! The light goes through the zipped up top. The top also keeps them from flying out. I cover the bottom with shavings as well. I will attatch a picture of a similar one...

 

[thecreekhouse]

I use a small mesh dog pen and it works great! The light goes through the zipped up top. The top also keeps them from flying out. I cover the bottom with shavings as well. I will attatch a picture of a similar one...
View attachment 1647638

This looks great. Can you tell me where you got it?

 

[Silkies for life]

You can find them at almost any Petsmart or Petco, I have even seen a few at stores like Doller General.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Walmart plastic tote bin. On sale right now..... get em' while they're hot!! And if you can, pick me up a 12 pack roll of Charmin Ultra Soft. Thank you.

 

[SueT]

What is the size W X L X H of your plastic tote? I use a homemade cage. It's 2' X 4' X 2' high and has a mesh top that can open and a side door. It has roosts, because by 2 weeks, they want to roost... For heat, I use a ceramic heat emitter in a clamp light fixture that gets raised as they grow and need less warmth. It got really crowded with 5 chicks this past spring. I couldn't wait to move them to coop at 4-5 weeks.

 

[chickens really]

Anything..I use big totes from Walmart

 

[Folly's place]

Also, NEVER rely on clamping the heat lamp to anything!!! When (not if) it comes loose, disaster will happen.
Always hang your heat lamp with at least two separate unbreakable tethers to some fixed overhead something. I use chain with metal clips, and suspend it over the hardware cloth brooder cover, so it can't fall into the box at all.
I use a 100 gallon leaking livestock water tank, but any larger covered space will work. A large cardboard appliance box, or two attached to each other, for example.
Moving the chicks to their coop with a safe heat source as soon as possible is good too.
Mary

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I think the lid with holes in it would get to stuffy and will provide them with very little light. I would cut out a large section of the lid and drill holes around it and zip tie chicken wire or wire mesh. Unless its clear.

 

[N F C]

I've used cardboard boxes, combining 2 of them together to make more room. An old screen window worked well for a cover.

The last time I brooded chicks, I had an unused rabbit cage (about 2' wide and 3.5' long). It was wood with mesh sides and floor. I covered the floor with an old sheet and topped it with chips so it would be easier on the chicks feet.

And I agree with @Folly's place about heat lamps. No one wants one of those falling and causing a fire.