Setting up the brooder...

The chicks will be here soon - so its time to assemble the brooder!

Things you will need:
-A large cardboard box (I used a patio furniture box)
-Heat lamp
-Bedding (I used pine shavings from Agway)
-Screen for top of box (if you use a refrigerator box, a regular screen door fits perfectly over the box!)
-Feeder/Waterer

Pick a location:
I decided to put the brooder in our mudroom, rather than the garage or our outdoor shed, as I was worried about the cold temperatures and drafts. We also have 4 dogs, so I wanted to put the chicks in a location where the dogs would not be a problem.

Assemble the brooder:
After cleaning the box out, I lined the bottom of the box with a 1 mil. plastic lining (from True Value Hardware). This was to keep the bottom of the box from getting wet/soggy from chicken droppings and water spilling.

I filled the bottom of the box with 1-2" of pine shavings. There is some debate as what to use on the bottom of the brooder. Some people use paper towels or sand. The thing to keep in mind is that you want a surface that is not slippery (like newspaper) so the chicks wont hurt themselves. Also, sawdust is not recommended as chicks tend to eat the sawdust, which causes digestive problems.



The heat is on!
I dont have a chain in which to hang the heat lamp, so I created a stand to hold the lamp, which can be raised and lowered, depending on the heat level in the box. The temperature should be 90-100 degrees for the first week or so, then can be reduced by 5 degrees each week thereafter, until the chicks have their feathers (5-8 weeks old). A thermometer in the brooder is helpful, but you can tell if the temperature is right by how the chicks behave. If they are panting and/or huddling in corners farthest from the light, they are too hot. If they huddle together in a ball under the light, they are too cold. You can adjust the distance of the light (or change the wattage of the bulb) until it's right.



Food/Water:
Chicks drink a lot of water! Clean, fresh water must ALWAYS be available to your chicks. I got this particular kind (it was free, from a friend! - thanks Josh!). Its plastic, it's easy to clean, inexpensive, lightweight and they can't tip it over.


I also selected a medicated food (from Agway) to prevent coccidiosis (a condition in which the protozoal parasites which naturally live in the chicken's intestines become too numerous for the chicken to handle and make the chicken sick).



Apparently the waterer should be close enough to the heat lamp so the chicks dont have to move far from the heat source for the first few days.

Once everything was put in place - I found a small screen (from a basement window) that I put over the box. A friend told me the best way to reduce dust/dander is by folding one half of the box closed. (so I'm trying it)


Now all I have to do is wait....tomorrow, the chicks arrive! :)

Thanks for checking in!