I am building a brooder this weekend for a dozen chicks, please help me design it!

[HBRRanchCO]

I have a dozen chicks (mixed laying breeds but all full sized, no bantams) coming next week. I have current flock of 16 chickens that live in our old barn and free range on 5+/- acres during the day (technically 40 but they don't usually venture far into the cow pasture lol). I am actually going to build this new set of chicks their own coop on the other side of our property so they can live with our goats (since the other chickens won't be able to get into the goat pen). Anyway, last time I had chicks I used a pack n play with a homemade lid and a 12x12 heat plate for 7 chicks in my dining room, fun for a couple weeks, and then turned a corner with the dust and the smell and said NO MORE chicks in the house. By the time they were about 4 weeks they were definitely ready to go outside and space was pretty limited, they'd fly up to the top of the pack n play every time we opened the lid. That was of course in the spring, I live in CO, so wouldn't want chicks to be outside in freezing weather, so this year I said OKAY I'm waiting till May for my chicks so the weather will be more cooperative and I can grow them up outside. I haven't gotten their coop done, nor has the goat area been fenced yet, but the chicks are coming next week. I've decided that the brooder I build will be going in our new barn (a different one than our current chickens have their area in and get closed into at night).

I imagine this won't be the last time I'll use this brooder, so I want to make sure it is sturdy and may work for up to 15 chicks in the future.

Current design thoughts:

• Will put at least one divider in to make their initial brooding area smaller than the total area so that I can open it up for more room as they get bigger.
• I have a 12x12 heat plate and a cozy coop panel heater that will be their sources of heat.
• It will be raised off the ground, likely on 4x4 legs.
• I'm thinking 3 sides closed with plywood (top too for the initial baby chick area) and the front/top probably chicken wire or hardware cloth. I know the pros and cons of each and have worked with both.

Materials available: almost anything you can think of! Plywood, 4x4, 2x4, 2x8, hardware cloth

Questions for you:

• What would your ideal total size of a brooder be for 12 full size chickens? (both total area and height)
• What would your ideal initial size area for a dozen chicks be?
• What is the best way for me to designate a "wet" area for their water? Last time I put their water up on top of a 2x4 chunk when they got big enough and that helped, but it was still a constant struggle with wet shavings.
• Should I put doors on the top or the sides, or both? Trying to think of ways to facilitate cleaning but minimize chick escapes. Thinking maybe 2/3 doors in the front and one on the top? Maybe overkill? maybe overthinking? lol
• What do you wish you would have done with your current brooder setup that I can learn from?

(and just cuz I am super excited and I know you all love chickens as much as I do, here's my list that is coming from mypetchicken.com: 1 each of Black Australorp, Buff Brahma, Dominique, Buckeye, Silver Cuckoo Marans, Ancona, Speckled Sussex and 5 of their "blues and greens" mix that can include Snowy EE, Blue EE, Cuckoo Bluebar, and Super Blue Egger)

Also if you have thoughts on how big you'd build a coop for 12-15 chickens that'd be helpful too! Otherwise I'll likely be posting a similar thread once I get the brooder done about that. I know it is going to sit next to our goat shed against a wall that is about 8 ft long, so thinking something like 8'x6'? One whole side will likely swing open for ease of cleaning / collecting eggs and/or we will put a door on one end. We will enclose it with 6' chain link for now.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I used a 1 1/2 x 3 ft storage bin as a brooder for 13 standard chicks. My coop is 4 x 6 for those hens, and they also have a 16 x 12 run.

 

[HBRRanchCO]

I used a 1 1/2 x 3 ft storage bin as a brooder for 13 standard chicks. My coop is 4 x 6 for those hens, and they also have a 16 x 12 run.

Thanks for the input! Were you using heat lamps or heat plates, and how long were they in it?

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Thanks for the input! Were you using heat lamps or heat plates, and how long were they in it?

I was using a heat lamp, and they were in it for a little more than two weeks. They got too big for it then and I moved them to two cardboard boxes, total about 1 1/2 x 2 and 1 1/2 x 1 feet. I moved them to the coop after about three and a half weeks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

For 12 chicks up to 4 weeks old, 12 sq ft should be enough. If you want to maximize use of your materials, go 4x4 (16 sq ft) and minimize cutting. They'll use the extra space for sure.

I actually give chicks closer to 2 sq ft per chick at the start but I only get a few chicks at a time, so giving them more space without making a giant brooder is easier.

For the "wet area" maybe change how you're handling water? Like have the waterer sit on a block or brick, but have it in a shallow pan/tray, so any splashing lands in the tray, which can then be emptied, instead of having to clean out the whole brooding area.

If you can do a top cleanout hatch as well as side access door, that would be optimal - top hatch would probably be easiest for you to cleanout, side access is less stressful for the chicks since you're not reaching down from above.

As far as the coop, 8x6 is fine for 12, would be a little tight for 15, but doable.

 

[HBRRanchCO]

For 12 chicks up to 4 weeks old, 12 sq ft should be enough. If you want to maximize use of your materials, go 4x4 (16 sq ft) and minimize cutting. They'll use the extra space for sure.

I actually give chicks closer to 2 sq ft per chick at the start but I only get a few chicks at a time, so giving them more space without making a giant brooder is easier.

For the "wet area" maybe change how you're handling water? Like have the waterer sit on a block or brick, but have it in a shallow pan/tray, so any splashing lands in the tray, which can then be emptied, instead of having to clean out the whole brooding area.

If you can do a top cleanout hatch as well as side access door, that would be optimal - top hatch would probably be easiest for you to cleanout, side access is less stressful for the chicks since you're not reaching down from above.

As far as the coop, 8x6 is fine for 12, would be a little tight for 15, but doable.

Thanks for your input! I think part of my struggle with the water in the pack n play was because it was never completely level with the soft bottom.

 

[Kafen]

Just built mine! I wanted it to be big enough to brood two dozen comfortably. It’s 4’x8’ with a middle divider. I’m going the mama heating pad route instead because it’s in our enclosed patio and definitely don’t want any fire risk. There’s an old shirt cut up to create little flaps so they feel safe and secure in there.

When they get a bit older I have mesh to go on top but that sides are 2’ tall so they shouldn’t be hopping over any time soon!

I’m also going to open it up and add some patches of sod and branches to make things interesting for them. We’ll see how it works though since this is my first time brooding chicks. I want to do it more though!

 

[HBRRanchCO]

Just built mine! I wanted it to be big enough to brood two dozen comfortably. It’s 4’x8’ with a middle divider. I’m going the mama heating pad route instead because it’s in our enclosed patio and definitely don’t want any fire risk. There’s an old shirt cut up to create little flaps so they feel safe and secure in there.

When they get a bit older I have mesh to go on top but that sides are 2’ tall so they shouldn’t be hopping over any time soon!

I’m also going to open it up and add some patches of sod and branches to make things interesting for them. We’ll see how it works though since this is my first time brooding chicks. I want to do it more though!

That is great! Thanks for the input & the pictures. I am thinking since most of my wood is 8' something like a 4'x8' would likely be a good size. Mine will be in a barn, but the barn is not closed/secured at night (mostly closed, but the stall doors are open to the horse and alpaca runs) so I need to make sure it is very sturdy and has a top so our cat or other birds don't bother them, as well as so they don't escape when they start flying or wanting to jump up to the highest point possible haha We had a lid on the pack n play inside so my indoor cat wouldn't bug them, but we learned quickly that the first very adventurous one started flying up when she saw that the lid was open for cleaning or food/water checks etc

 

[HBRRanchCO]

Soooo it didn’t get finished in time, which is fine I have them in the spare room for now lol but check out what we have so far!

It is about 4x6, and we’re going to install a couple roost bars and finish covering with plywood but leave some room up top for light and ventilation which we will cover with hardware cloth.

There are doors on both sides for me to be able to get in and clean the “brooding box” area. That little half wall is removable. We decided this will actually be the starter coop for them for the summer. So we will add a door for cleaning access, and a little chicken door & ramp for when we move the whole thing outside into a chain link enclosure.

 

[Cleaverton]

I’m using my extra large dog crate. Lined the outside with cardboard (zip tied to it) to get rid of drafts, etc, and it’s fully enclosed. I just need to get some more hay in there. They are 1-2 weeks old, so good and stable - the tray in the crate is non slip and textured. Thank