Homemade Brooder out of an old refrigerator? Advice needed...

[Melrose Chooks]

Hello,

I'm brand new to this site so apologies if this has already been covered.

I am looking to purchase some day old chicks and therefore will need a brooder. I have an old fridge...can I put it flat on it's back, remove the door and put a mesh lid on it with heat lamp? I'd be very grateful for any advice.

Thanks

 

[chillmiller]

sure... well kinda.... id cut a piece of plywood or cardboard to line the (bottom) of the fridge as the slipery surface can cause problems but ya do that add pine shaveings food water and heat and the fuzzy butts will love ya love ya

 

[wilkey44]

if you need a brooder just go to a hardware store buy an 18 gallon storage container a 100 w bulb and a plastic bulb holder and sone 1/2 in wire mesh and an extension cord put the bulb about 6 in from the bottom and put a small towel on the bottom so it kinda looks like this save your fridge for making it into an incubator

and the lid something like this (if I would have known I was going to be taking a pix of it to show people I would have made it look better)

 

[Melrose Chooks]

Many thanks for your responses...I'm now looking into the homemade Incubator.....

 

[abhaya]

A full size fridge will make a huge bator. If you are not planning on hatching mega amounts of eggs I would go with the brooder idea. Save the door you can always make it into a bator later. And keep in mind how much it is gonna cost to keep a full sizr fridge 100 degrees for a month!! To make it into a brooder I would put ply or something in the bottom as it is slippery and then use shavings over that. Add a light on one end. That way they can go under it to get warm and on the other end to cool off. That is a large enough brooder they should be good in it for a long time.

 

[lenadriver]

I went a little more complicated....
I had a fridge with a separate freezer section.
It lays on it's back so I took off the grill and used and angle grinder to cut out the motor. (easy!) Then I cut a large window in the freezer section door and an even larger section for the fridge window. I then cut a 'tunnel' between the freezer and fridge section, so the chicks can pass through at will. I put a normal light bulb in the freezer section and kept them in there for the first few days and then opened the 'tunnel' so they could pass through at will. 2 very important notes- USE A THERMOSTAT! I got a reptile thermostat that just plugs into the wall and you plug your lamp into it, set your temp. and away you go. I nearly cooked my first lot of chicks!!! The fridge really keeps that heat in! 2 SUPERVISE the chicks for the first few days after you open the tunnel as they will get lost. You need to show them how to get back.
I didn't attach anything permanent to the windows. One draw back is lack of ventilation. Depending on the weather, I either have glass/plastic over the windows or a grill. ( the fridge shelves work really well for this). On sunny days, I open the fridge section door and use the grill from the back of the fridge to cover the top. This allows fresh air in, dries it out a bit and allows the chicks to get real sunshine on their backs.
I cover the floor with feed bags or cardboard, then put bedding on top. Super easy to clean while the chicks are in and even easier to stand it up and thoroughly disinfect and hose out between clutches.
One thing I will do next is cut windows in a side. It will let more light in, it won't be air-tight so it will slightly increase circulation and I will also be able to open it to an outdoor area if I want.
The moisture in the larger section is a minor problem,in the freezer section a much larger one. Make sure you use absorbent bedding.
After 2 weeks I found the chicks didn't want the lamp anymore. The fridge is so well insulated. I just make sure that the windows are well covered at night. We've had frosts already and the chicks are still happy and running around in the morning when I uncover them. It is in a large shed, which helps but, still NO HEAT supplied!! WOO HOO!
I'll try and remember to take some pics.

 

[JanineM]

I went a little more complicated....
I had a fridge with a separate freezer section.
It lays on it's back so I took off the grill and used and angle grinder to cut out the motor. (easy!) Then I cut a large window in the freezer section door and an even larger section for the fridge window. I then cut a 'tunnel' between the freezer and fridge section, so the chicks can pass through at will. I put a normal light bulb in the freezer section and kept them in there for the first few days and then opened the 'tunnel' so they could pass through at will. 2 very important notes- USE A THERMOSTAT! I got a reptile thermostat that just plugs into the wall and you plug your lamp into it, set your temp. and away you go. I nearly cooked my first lot of chicks!!! The fridge really keeps that heat in! 2 SUPERVISE the chicks for the first few days after you open the tunnel as they will get lost. You need to show them how to get back.
I didn't attach anything permanent to the windows. One draw back is lack of ventilation. Depending on the weather, I either have glass/plastic over the windows or a grill. ( the fridge shelves work really well for this). On sunny days, I open the fridge section door and use the grill from the back of the fridge to cover the top. This allows fresh air in, dries it out a bit and allows the chicks to get real sunshine on their backs.
I cover the floor with feed bags or cardboard, then put bedding on top. Super easy to clean while the chicks are in and even easier to stand it up and thoroughly disinfect and hose out between clutches.
One thing I will do next is cut windows in a side. It will let more light in, it won't be air-tight so it will slightly increase circulation and I will also be able to open it to an outdoor area if I want.
The moisture in the larger section is a minor problem,in the freezer section a much larger one. Make sure you use absorbent bedding.
After 2 weeks I found the chicks didn't want the lamp anymore. The fridge is so well insulated. I just make sure that the windows are well covered at night. We've had frosts already and the chicks are still happy and running around in the morning when I uncover them. It is in a large shed, which helps but, still NO HEAT supplied!! WOO HOO!
I'll try and remember to take some pics.

What a great post, and there was me thinking I had this NOVEL idea to turn my old fridge into a brooder. Thank you for all of the detail and info about your project, so helpful. If you ever took those pics, I would love to see them, take care