playpen= brooder

[TeamChaos]

Hello! i'm using an older mesh baby playpen for my brooder this time around. It has a vinyl mat that goes on the bottom and a very fine mesh bottom under that. Will the vinyl be too slick for baby chicks? (It does have some texture, like a faux cloth weave) should I try and cover it with something or just take it out and let the babies be on the mesh bottom? (the mesh is soft and the holes are tiny, my only reserve in doing it that way is that cleaning will be a little more difficult).
Beyond that, any sage wisdom on using an old playpen as a brooder in case I failed to consider some aspect of the project?
Thanks so much!

 

[michelle1017]

I have used playpens as brooders too. I just lined them with plastic and put the shavings on the bottom. I also put a wire cover over it to keep them in and the cats out. Worked perfectly!

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
Great advice, you definitely do not want them walking on a slick surface: vinyl, newspapers, etc. This will cause splayed leg and that is not good! Good luck!!

 

[TeamChaos]

"lined it with plastic" do you mean putting down something like a garbage bag and filling in over it?

What about polar fleece for the first couple of days? I know it sounds crazy, but I've got a lot of extra polar fleece- it would be non-slick and absorbent... at least until they are ready for pine shavings..

 

[michelle1017]

We just used a big roll of plastic like what you would buy to put over your windows or something but a large trash bag would work the same. We covered the sides and bottom with it. It was mainly to keep the heat and dust in as much as we possible and when we cleaned, you could just pick it all up in one shot and throw it all away. I guess the fleece would work although they would get it really messy in a hurry. We just used paper towels until they were old enough for the shavings.

 

[kelseygirl707]

I use a playpen brooder for my Ducklings, and I just lay the bottom mat down and put shavings on top of that, then I just lift out the bottom mat and slide the shaving of into the garbage when needed. Works out very well for me.

 

[sunket77]

I am using one right now and I flipped the bottom mat over because I was worried since it was soft it would just absorbe everything and be ruined I have been trying to think of an alternative I could put on the bottom. I think it's still a pain to clean though

I end up using the vacuum to suck the rest of the shavings out....I really need to get a shop vac! I do like the playpen though it gives them plenty of room and it's like a little t.v. to watch them lol!

I am going to make a lid with chicken wire and 1x4's all I have on there now is chicken wire draped over the top and if it's not there they will get out they are 5wks old.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ooohh, I have a playpen in the attic. And I'm not having any more babies of the human kind. Woohoo, I'm going to turn it into a brooder!

 

[CFreebury101]

I know it's an old post, but I am buying one for this purpose and going to use shelf liner on the bottom. It's relatively cheap and also can be cleaned if a person wanted to.

 

[frecon]

How many chicks would you be able to fit in a play pen? I’m hatching around 35 chicks and trying to figure out a good size for a brooder for the first 3-4 weeks