# Stock tank as a brooder?



## deputycliff

I'm new to chickens and I'm about 75% done building my chicken enclosure which is a 8'x16' run with a 4'x8' coop for Approx 8 chickens. So, I'm now trying to decide what to use as a brooder. I saw a 100 gal Rubbermaid Stock tank measuring 31 in. x 53 in. x 25 in. at Tractor Supply and was wondering if this would make a good brooder because on e done I can easily repurpose it. Any thoughts would be appreciated.


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## Bird_slave

Sure you can use a stock tank, but they are a bit pricey. I have a brooder that I have brooded so many chicks in I've lost count of the number. We started with a kiddie pool and various pieces of PVC we had laying around. We had to buy the PVC "T's and "elbows", but that cost us less than $3. The PVC frame is then wrapped in heavy duty plastic as a draft guard. When we're through with it it gets disassembled and goes back into storage.


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## deputycliff

Bird_slave said:


> Sure you can use a stock tank, but they are a bit pricey. I have a brooder that I have brooded so many chicks in I've lost count of the number. We started with a kiddie pool and various pieces of PVC we had laying around. We had to buy the PVC "T's and "elbows", but that cost us less than $3. The PVC frame is then wrapped in heavy duty plastic as a draft guard. When we're through with it it gets disassembled and goes back into storage.


That's a pretty clever idea!


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## 7chicks

That's what they use at my TSC for the chicks - the stock tanks. Works fine for them every year.


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## deputycliff

7chicks said:


> That's what they use at my TSC for the chicks - the stock tanks. Works fine for them every year.


That's what gave me the idea but those chicks don't stay in them that long before being sold so I thought I'd throw the question out their about using them more long term.


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## bkenright

We used a rubbery cattle waterer for a brooder and it worked great. The only thing is we had to keep it covered so they wouldn't jump onto the edge. They did have to stay in there probably longer than they should have (until the meatbirds were kicked out), but it worked.

We screwed a board across the middle to hang the heat lamp. One side had a sheet of plywood across the top for sleeping under and I had to put chicken wire over the other half to keep them in.


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## Reinerchick

We jut used an extra large box and it worked great!! Lol


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## Clearcut23

We used an old play pen


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## Apyl

I use my old guinea pig cage as my main brooder, this year I had to bring in 2 huge boxes since the winter wouldn't go away and a couple of our carriers to separate some chicks that got picked on.

Pic 1 - is the guinea pig cage
Pic 2- is 1 of the boxes before I put up the 2nd
Pic 3 - is one of the few carrying boxes we have for the fair but we used them as quarantine boxes this year as well for some chicks.


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## EdisNiksic

Apyl wat breed is he chick that is brown in the second brooder. It is by the feeder? Also is that two guineas i see in there?


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## EdisNiksic

Or turkeys.


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## Apyl

EdisNiksic said:


> Apyl wat breed is he chick that is brown in the second brooder. It is by the feeder? Also is that two guineas i see in there?


The brown one is a Brown laced polish, no guineas but 2 turkey poults.


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