Picking up Chicks...

Befitting Spring, we recently picked up some new chicks, the avian kind. Meat birds - Cornish Cross - not laying hens (we are trying another breed, Freedom Ranger, later as well). Our hens are in overdrive and we only add new blood to our laying flock every two or three years.

You may already know we go to extremes to house our happy hens (see our post "Coopus Optimus" ). While we love the birds, we love even more being able to tend to them with ease and convenience. If it's easy, we find we keep their lodging cleaner and well tended as we should. We are happier and the chickens are healthier &, presumably, happier, too.
To this end we built a brooder to replace the annual foil lined cardboard boxes we raised chicks in until they are big enough to be out on their own. Now in it's second year I am happy to report it is a great success and am willing to share it's design.

Using 1"x1/2" hardware cloth, J-clamps for connectors (Your local feed or hardware store should have these and the tool to clamp them. They are used for building cages), a utility tray (hardware store), the foil covered bubble insulation often used to wrap water heaters, and a couple miscellaneous handles, we built the cage.

The key to the project was wanting a brooder that was easy to clean. This entailed a removable pan that can slide out and be cleaned without disturbing the chicks.
 After much searching (baking pans, tupperware, etc.) we found these great Utility Trays at a local hardware store. They were big enough (18"x30" or more), but too deep (4" - 6"). But nothing else was even close to what we wanted. However, as there were heavy plastic we were able to cut it down to the 2" we wanted.
To finish it off we added a handle to one end.
Now we had the template for our brooder.

We hang short pieces of the insulation with wire to keep heat in.

 Next we built an elevated cage. The floor is very slightly larger than the dimensions of the tray, so it will slide in and out. The walls are 10" tall from the floor to accommodate the growing chicks for several weeks. To make it fit over the tray, that means the side & back walls are made from pieces of hardware cloth 12" tall, with the floor attached 2" from the bottom. The front wall is only 10" high and attaches at the floor, allowing a space to remove the tray.
We put a solid 'roof' on the back half of the brooder, and loosely attached the front half so that it could be opened to tend to our chicks.
We cut holes in the front to allow the use of a couple of rabbit feeder to use when the chicks were older. As new chicks they are not tall enough to access those feeders and we place a smaller chick feeder & waterer inside the cage.

Wooden knob is to open front 1/2 of top

Now, the most important thing for raising newborn chicks is keeping them warm. This is easiest to achieve using a light bulb. As we are off-grid and produce our own power (Power in the Storm), our out buildings are wired to 24vt power, similar to a boat. So we use marine 24vt bulbs.

Place insulated cover over lamp...

We use the insulated metallic bubble wrap to keep the heat in. We construct a 4-sided box to cover the back half of the cage, top & 3 sides, using duct tape to fasten the pieces. In the top we traced the edge of the lamp. Using that circle as a guide, we cut slits in the shape of pie slices so it fits over the lamp & keep the heat in.

$6 indoor/outdoor thermometer keeps track of conditions.

This year it was so cold when we got the chicks we made an additional 'inner sanctum' from a 10" wide, 3' long strip of the bubble insulation with a doorway cut into it. Taped into a cylinder, it fit right under the light to concentrate the heat (see final photo below). It works perfectly.
Now that it's warmed up we removed it and they are roaming more.

We regulate the temp. by wattage of light bulb (25wt or 50wt)

Now all you need are wood shavings, newspaper, or other bedding to put in the tray for the manure to fall into (it's just too disgusting otherwise). Turn on the light & add chicks!

Later in the season (when it quits raining) we plan to make a portable pen/chicken tractor so we can range our meat birds on our hilly pasture. We'll keep you posted.

Cozy in their new home