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
Near Me in
Wise River, Montana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wise River Montana,
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. Wise River
Montana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Wise River Montana, 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 Wise River MT.
Baby Chicks Mail Order in
Wise River, Montana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wise River Montana
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
Wise River Montana * 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 Wise River
Montana * 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 Chickens As Pets in
Wise River, Montana
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
Wise River Montana 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 Wise River,
Montana Baby chicks are very
charming as well as
tough to withstand,
but it's best to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate materials, but
additionally the correct
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you just should give them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
habitat Lots of food and also water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
supply them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The recently
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be reduced by
around 5 levels or
so. The warmth resource must get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your heat
lamp, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to alter
the bed linen
usually as well as
consistently provide clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite fast
which calls for lots of clean
food and water. Provide
enough whatsoever times as well
as check
usually to avoid thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't occupy that activity till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will more than likely bond with you as well as
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
view their behavior, you can
catch health problem or other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make sure to
also look at
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
as well as move outside into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to find out
more
about coops and
correct coop environments.
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