We’re getting our first chickens this spring (!!) and over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing our experiences along the way. Be sure to subscribe via or to keep up with our latest posts!
Chicken brooder boxes come in all shapes and sizes. They can be small and simple as a cardboard box or kiddie-pool, or a large, complex custom-build. For our booder box, these were my concerns:
Sturdy. With curious pets and kids in the house, I wanted something more sturdy than a cardboard box.
Safe. Again, the pets (specifically our cat, Stuart) was my main concern. I wanted to make sure the baby chiks would be safe from any “investigating” he might want to do.
Easy & inexpensive to build. I’m relatively handy, but I’m no builder. I wanted something I could build quickly and easily with the basic tools I have on hand.
So here’s what I came up with…
Materials
50-gallon Sterilite tote ($16, WalMart)
Chicken wire, 25′ roll ($9.99, Tractor Supply)
Plastic zip ties ($1.59, Dollar General)
Tools
Cordless drill (I have a Black & Decker , part of their 20V system.)
1/4″ drill bit
Jig saw
Wire cutters
How to Build Your Brooder Box
1. First we’ll cut away the hole in the lid for the chicken wire: Using your cordless drill and 1/4″ drill bit, drill a hole near the corner of the lid, about 3″ or 4″ in from the edge. This will be the pilot hole for your saw blade.
2. Using your jig saw, insert the blade into the hole you just drilled, then cut out the center section of the lid, leaving a 3-4″ border around the rim of the lid to keep rigidity.
3. Next, drill holes around the perimeter of the hole you just cut. You want to make them close enough to the edge that the zip ties will work, but not so close to the edge that they crack and break through.
4. Flip your lid upside down and unroll your chicken wire on top of it. Use your wire cutters (I actually borrowed Mike’s guitar string cutter tool) to trim the chicken wire to size. Thread zip ties through the holes drilled in the lid and use them to secure the chicken wire in place.
5. Once the chicken wire is secured, you can trim the zip ties so they don’t hang down into the brooder.
6. Release your toddler (and/or pets) for testing…
Hooray! It’s Myles-approved!
Related
Baby Chickens And
Baby Ducks in
Leoti, Kansas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Leoti Kansas,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Leoti
Kansas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Leoti Kansas, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Leoti KS.
Baby Chicks By Mail in
Leoti, Kansas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Leoti Kansas
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Leoti Kansas * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Leoti
Kansas * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chicks Near Me in
Leoti, Kansas
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Leoti Kansas is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Leoti,
Kansas Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and
difficult to resist,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
right products, however
additionally the appropriate
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you just should supply them with the following: A
clean and warm
environment Lots of food and water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
offer them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be minimized by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source must get on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your warmth
light, you need to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you need to add some warmth.
House cleaning
Sanitation is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to change
the bed linens
often and
always supply tidy
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which calls for lots of tidy
food and also water. Give
enough at all times as well
as check
typically to avoid dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their actions, you could
catch health problem or other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Make sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and relocate outside right into a
coop. Check out our
part on chicken coops to get more information
about coops and also
correct cage environments.
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