What are some brooder options for raising chicks? Print E-mail

There are several brooder options for raising chicks after they have hatched...

A Brooder Box can be made from...
  • A large cardboard box
  • Stock tank
  • Big Rubbermaid container
  • Plastic swimming pool
  • A ring of cardboard on the coop floor
  • Or, you can buy a commercially made brooder

Some of the most important things to consider are...

Protection from drafts, a warm safe area, and an area for cool off a some of your primary considerations. Clean feeders and waterers are also a must have.

Your brooder box should also have:
  • A Non-Slip Floor.
    • Newspapers are to slippery when used alone for the first few days. Try covering them with paper towels. Some have suggested sand paper (very fine grit) will also help them till they get the strength for their legs to develop properly. Use the paper towels for about 4 or 5 days.
    • Wood Shavings are a good choice also, but again, cover them with paper towels for 4 or 5 days.
  • Protective Walls.
    • The sides should be high enough (15 or so inches, 38cm) to protect the chicks from a draft.
    • If brooding outside or in a barn, sides should be high enough to protect chicks from escaping, and from predators. Keep the top covered.

Provide warmth for your chicks...

Heat sources can be made by using:
  • A shop clamp lamp or
  • A lamp with a shield that concentrates the light/heat down on a portion of the brooder.
    • Raise or lower the heat so that the area under the heat is around 95 degrees.
    • Raise the lamp or reduce it's output (dimmer switch) a little each week for the first 5 weeks, (lower by 5 degrees).
    • Entire brooder SHOULD NOT be the same temperature. Your chicks need to get out of the heat.
    • Chicks will lay in a ring around the heat source, and regulate themselves.
Some considerations about the heat...
  • If peeping loudly, they are cold
  • If huddling to one side, could be a draft
  • If away from the heat as far as possible, they are too hot
    • To much heat will kill your chicks. To much cold, they'll peep to tell ya. Provide more heat, than not enough, just make sure they can move away from it.

Feeder and Waterer recommendations...

Here are some options:
  • Food can put on the floor
  • In a shallow dish
  • In a commercial feeder
All are fine, just use common sense.

Some people use mason jar lids as drinkers/feeders (marbles in water lid to prevent drowning). Just remember,  jam jar lids can be tipped over wetting the litter making it easy for the chicks to walk over and foul. Use a Chick drinker to be on the safe side.