Hi i was wondering if anyone had plans for a big chick brooder able to hold a bout 30 chicks?

-- drew (ata1hunt@aol.com), January 28, 2002

Answers

You want big? Not for 30 peeps! If you wishto do a few hundred go back to the past. This is the way Dad did it and I do it today.

http://www.plamondon.com/brooder.htm

Mr Plamondon also was kind to put this info on his web site.

It is overkill for your use but for alot of CS Family it may fit a need and save them a lot of money.

JR

-- JR (jr3star@earthlink.net), January 29, 2002.

I use a six foot dia. molded plastic swimming pool. It works great.

-- Joe McDonald (joemc@vermontel.com), March 07, 2002.

Go to the address above that J.R. gives and get the Ohio brooder plans.

Build the hover two feet by four feet.

I've got forty three chicks in the brooder right now using just that hover built to that size and they're doing fine. The thing is in an unheated workshop and temperatures in the shop have gone from below freezing to the mid seventies without any problems inside the brooder box at all.

I have two 250 watt heat lamps and two 125 watt lamps. The first week I use the both 250 watt lamps since they need the most heat in the first week and the outside temperature kept dropping to freezing. At about ten days or so I swapped one of the 250 bulbs for a 125 watt. At about three weeks I swapped the other 250 for a 125 and they've been doing just fine with them ever since.

Exactly how fast you should change bulbs depends on your local temperature. The beauty of the design is that the chicks can self-regulate their temperature so they won't get too hot or too cold.

The brooder box itself that I am using is a 4x8 sheet of 3/8 plywood with plywood walls two feet high. One side has hinges about a foot or so up so that I can more easily get into the box. Next go around I think I'd use three foot walls to give more room on top of the hover for the chicks to expand on to. The entire thing is partially held together with carriage bolts so that when I no longer need it I can knock it flat and store it in the overhead.

They've been in there a month now and so far no problems. This weekend I should have their new house finished if my back will ease up some and I'll move them out then.

.......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), March 07, 2002.