Affordable Brooder Ideas?

[AlMD]

I’m getting 25 chicks in less than two months, we have all the supplies including the coop except the brooder. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[Iluveggers]

Watermelon bin. Our Aldi grocery store let me take one when it was low (I offered to move the last few melons for them). Don’t know if melons will be in season where you are when you need it, but it was free. I clothespinned netting over the top, put a shower curtain liner under it to protect the floor, and it was a lovely space. We even cut a “drawbridge” in the side so we could let them out to explore when we pulled it down!

 

[wrathsfarm]

I’m getting 25 chicks in less than two months, we have all the supplies including the coop except the brooder. Anybody have any ideas?

Where do you plan on brooding the chicks?

A few ideas...
A huge box, shipping crate?
Tent?
Playpen?
Build one under poop boards in coop?
XL dog crate?
Live stock waterer like they usually have chicks in at feed stores?

 

[AlMD]

Watermelon bin. Our Aldi grocery store let me take one when it was low (I offered to move the last few melons for them). Don’t know if melons will be in season where you are when you need it, but it was free. I clothespinned netting over the top, put a shower curtain liner under it to protect the floor, and it was a lovely space. We even cut a “drawbridge” in the side so we could let them out to explore when we pulled it down!

Thank you so much, I would never have thought of this!

 

[wrathsfarm]

Here's a thread with ideas also...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/incubators-brooders.27/

 

[AlMD]

Where do you plan on brooding the chicks?

A few ideas...
A huge box, shipping crate?
Tent?
Playpen?
Build one under poop boards in coop?
XL dog crate?
Live stock waterer like they usually have chicks in at feed stores?

I have thought about these, but I’m not sure if they’ll do well when the chicks are older but not old enough to be out yet. Thank you though!!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We do ours in big plastic totes, but never that many, lol! Most we ever do is about 12, and after the first week we separate into two totes. At three weeks they go outside into a converted storage thing like a mini garage.

 

[Toothpick]

TSC water trough is my go to. Requires a bit of room for sure. It will last seemingly forever. Easy to clean. Many uses beyond brooding chicks. For my system - they ain't in it but a day or so then I move them to the in-coop brooder.

But as an example of use - This batch I'm hatching now will be split with a buddy of mine. So I'll put them all in this until he picks the half he wants. Then move mine to the in-coop brooder.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

TSC water trough is my go to. Requires a bit of room for sure. It will last seemingly forever. Easy to clean. Many uses beyond brooding chicks. For my system - they ain't in it but a day or so then I move them to the in-coop brooder.

But as an example of use - This batch I'm hatching now will be split with a buddy of mine. So I'll put them all in this until he picks the half he wants. Then move mine to the in-coop brooder.

View attachment 4056908

Do you keep this in your house?

 

[Toothpick]

Do you keep this in your house?

Nah. Out in the storage shed. With proper heat of course. I would keep it in the house though if I had to