my new chick brooder

Giffen Farms · Post by **Giffen Farms** » Sat Feb 20, 2016 6:41 pm

Started building my brooder in the coop this afternoon, has 4 separate pens on top with a hole over each cut out for a heat lamp shouldn't be a problem with overheating as that's where the window is, should be cool enough next to that single pane of glass , enough room for up to 12 chicks for a couple weeks in each and a grow out pen underneath and a smaller pen to the side for...?....undecided what to do with it, was thinking of a holding/quarantine area for 1 or 2 adult birds, not sure just yet, too big for a nesting box area. Just plywood and that plastic mesh, just need to build doors for the bottom pens, shavings, heat and everyone can move in, and cleanup some cobwebs :/

Poultryprincess · Post by **Poultryprincess** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 6:39 pm

Looking good! Nice idea with the openings for the heat lamps.
What height did you make the brooders?
Like the size of your new brooder pens...curious about the Plastic mesh.

Are you concerned about mice chewing it & getting into the brooder?
I made portable brooders with metal mesh.
Didn't stop the damn mice, they chewed at the doors until able to get inside.

Have changed the floor of brooder to sheet metal.
Still stumped on how to stop the door chewing.

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 6:53 pm

Very nice!

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 8:50 pm

Very Nice! Consider some sort of watering system so those waterers dont take up so much room. Im not sure how far you are away from me but I have about 90 auto poultry cups, I could hook you up with enough to set something up.

friggen mice eh! PP! thats one of the reasons i dont set up brooders in the coop... so I just threw a bunch of mouse treats around the garage... and set up a live trap... get them first before they become a problem. you can take those big margarine tubs drill a small hole in it and put poison in... this will keep out the birds but not the mice.

Giffen Farms · Post by **Giffen Farms** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:58 pm

Poultryprincess wrote:QR_BBPOST Looking good! Nice idea with the openings for the heat lamps.
What height did you make the brooders?
Like the size of your new brooder pens...curious about the Plastic mesh.

Are you concerned about mice chewing it & getting into the brooder?
I made portable brooders with metal mesh.
Didn't stop the damn mice, they chewed at the doors until able to get inside.

Have changed the floor of brooder to sheet metal.
Still stumped on how to stop the door chewing.

Hey,
the lower brooders was originally going to be where I was going to put my wire rabbit cages to raise chicks in if needed and short on space but.....so it's 24" deep × 24" high, to acommadate 3 cages, as for the mesh, the chickens do a good enough job keeping most at bay, but for the over curious mice 6 traps w/peanut butter take care of the rest, I set the traps every 3 days, so 3 days of traps and 3 days without

Post by **Killerbunny** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:52 am

Neat thing I saw was a treadle feeder. the bird has to step on the plate to open the feeder hopper. Less waste.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:44 am

Very nice! Like the easy access. :)

Post by **WLLady** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:04 pm

If you use edible blue block or something like that for rat poison beware they

it out and if the birds eat the

they will still get poisoned....

muffin57 · Post by **muffin57** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:10 pm

Very nice! Great job!