How to make do-it-yourself brooders for raising chickens

How to make do-it-yourself brooders for raising chickens? Previously, we have always had hens to hatch chickens, but now they have changed the breed, and all the chickens go "to failure", for the third year not a single one sits on eggs. The wife decided the issue on a large scale: she bought an incubator, and ordered me to make brooders. I do a lot of things at home myself, but there has never been such a device. What is the best to make and what should be the dimensions? And how is it heated, a regular incandescent lamp will do?

The first weeks of life are critical for the hatched chicks, so they need warmth first. If a hen was sitting on the eggs, then usually she continues to take care of the offspring, warming it with her body. For incubation and purchased day old chicks, it would be best to make do-it-yourself brooders for raising chicks. These structures are not complicated, they can be made from improvised means. And if everything is done correctly, then the chickens can spend a couple of months in them until they grow up and get stronger.

Basic requirements for brooders for growing chickens

It can be made from any materials, even from cardboard boxes. But wood is best suited - it has the property of keeping warm.

On sale you can buy ready-made brooders, but it is much cheaper to make them yourself, adhering to certain recommendations:

1. Dimensions. They depend on how many chicks will live in the building. Considering that they will stay there at least until they reach 2 months of age. In general, 1 sq. m. there should be no more than 25 chicks. Accordingly, one individual requires at least 0.1 sq. m.
2. Floor. It is important to keep it dry, otherwise the chicks will get sick. And not slippery so they don't get hurt. The ideal option is a mesh on the frame.
3. Pallet - optional but highly desirable. You need to clean up the brooder often, but you shouldn't disturb its inhabitants. The presence of a pallet will facilitate this task.
4. Ventilation, but no drafts. For this, the doors are made of mesh, and the other three walls must be deaf.
5. Heating is the most important part of a brooder. Ideally, it is better to use special infrared lamps. But you can also use ordinary incandescent lamps, only with a power of no more than 60 watts.

If there are many chicks, it is more advisable to make several brooders than one large one. In a too spacious building, the chicks will not be as warm as in small ones, placed on top of each other.

DIY brooders for raising chickens - step by step instructions

A brooder is a box-like structure in which artificial conditions are created to keep the chicks warm, as with hen.

Alternatively, a brooder can be made as follows:

1. Cut 3 pieces of 50x100 cm from a sheet of plywood. These will be the bottom, back wall and top.
2. For the side walls, cut two pieces of 50x50 cm.
3. Fasten the elements together, except for one large sheet.
4. Make a pallet: attach a 49x98 cm frame under the structure, the bottom of which will be the remaining sheet.
5. Above the pallet, install rails on which to put another frame. Only, instead of a sheet, cover it with a mesh - this will turn out to be a floor.
6. It remains to make the doors, there should be two of them. It is better to do not deaf, but also in the form of a frame covered with mesh.

The brooder is ready, now the main thing is to install the heat source. To do this, make a hole in the ceiling, run the cable and attach the socket under the lamp. Put a switch on the street side of the cage.With a little bit of money, you can improve the brooder by purchasing a thermometer and automatic thermostat.

How to make a brooder with your own hands