# 1-4 week brooder



## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

hey guys and gals. I spent my morning putting together a brooder for my 1-4 week olds. it is 2 feet by 4 feet by 16 tall. I used chicken wire in the front to allow good ventilation, and it is enclosed on the rest of the sides to keep out drafts and such. 
















that little dark one in the corner is the only one to hatch from my test hatch... I felt bad for it, so I went and picked up a few friends. They are supposed to be EE pullets, from a hatchery... we shall see what ends up out of them, not my preferred breed, but likely a good chance i can trade them off for somethiing more what i want


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

nothing wrong with that brooder setup that i can see


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

the light is a bit too much for the brooder, even with it moved to the very top, directly under the light is in the 110 degree F, a smaller wattage heat bulb will fix that. there is plenty of room for the peeps to not be too hot though, in fact when cold they just sit on the edge of the light, the term halo, i think has been used to describe it. 
after a night in there with her new lady friends my solo hatcher seems a lot happier, not peeping nearly as loud or frequently..


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

my plan is to build one more of these, same dimensions and everything, then build a larger 4x4 brooder for when the peeps are 4-8 weeks. At 8 weeks they should be large enough to go outside. in the event its a harsh wintry day I will put them in a section of the run during the day with a heat lamp. likely bring them in at night if I do not already have a secondary coop in place.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

add a dimmer to the light P.H.
that way you can adjust the brooder temp as you wish


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

thanks for the suggestion piglett, I may just do that


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