The Lectro kennel brooder experiment thread

[rottlady]

So by request here is a thread for this project
This is a 500 (XL) Varikennel dog crate covered with a heavy blanket and a Lectro Kennel heat unit, UPSIDE down on bricks.

In theory this should work similar to the Premier, Comfort Chick and Brinsea plate brooders

Crested Cream Legbar chicks are due to hatch this weekend

 

[3riverschick]

Oh this is interesting. I'll be watching to see how it works. Lectro Kennel makes a good product.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[rottlady]

My husband says THIS is what happens when a 30+ years of being crazy dog breeder/dog show lady does not have enough dogs anymore.
(I lost 3 dogs to terrible rare cancers in 8 months and now just have 2 dogs (one is a puppy))

 

[rottlady]

Picked up 4 Crested Cream Legbar chicks this am. they had about a 45 min ride and then came to my cold house. They dove under the heat plate and promptly went to sleep. No noise at all so assume they are warm. Hoping they wake up and come out to eat soon.

Here they are from when we first got home. They range in age from 1-5 days old. The little Roo is actually a good bit lighter than he appears in the pic

 

[rottlady]

well I still have not seen the chicks so lifted the plate to see what was up and they were all toasty warm. I brought them out and showed them the food but they bolted back under the plate, they are quiet and warm so hope they come out soon (the house is cold and it is cloudy so dim)

 

[Jensownzoo]

Oh this is a good idea if it works! I have several of the hard plastic ones and I think they would be better suited to brooding outside than the human heating pad. Plus, it's pretty large so a lot of chicks could fit under it.

 

[rottlady]

I have the controller that the pad plugs into that then plugs into the wall. Using this you can keep the temp more constant (so the Lectro kennel people told me decades ago anyhow)
So far chicks are nice and toasty. They are not coming out on their own though so I have dug them out a couple times so I can see them actually eat a small amount.

and yes quite a few chicks could fit under this. My 4 are all way down at the far end LOL

 

[rottlady]

about 16 hours in and this IS working really well. Chicks are happy and TOASTY warm. I picked the mat up to check the heat awhile ago and it was VERY chick friendly warm/hot under there. Chicks have learned how to scoot in and out at one end and everyone is eating drinking just fine.

SO FAR working super well

 

[Jensownzoo]

Amazon had the temp control for only $14 so I went ahead and ordered it. Even if this doesn't work out, I still have a use for it.

 

[rottlady]

4 Happy lively chicks!
I put a 1/2" board under the bricks in the front so it is a little higher front than back because the biggest chick (1 week) needed a little more head space. The smallest two chicks are just 3 days old