# Made a larger brooder and lessons learned



## Nancy B (Mar 8, 2020)

Made a brooder for the little chickies. Was pretty proud of myself because I haven't used power tools since highschool shop class, lol. But everything said and done I decided to caulk the corners to prevent drafts-only to learn that chickens will eat caulk! So I then had to screw an extra piece of wood covering all the corners I caulked! Hopefully this will be a nice warm place for them. I installed heat lamps on both the ends of the box. It's about 2' by 6'


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Amazing what we can do when we put our minds to something. 

I see a little chickie there on the side of the brooder.


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## Nancy B (Mar 8, 2020)

the sweetest chicky ever lol! I went out to the garage and took pics of the little ladies in their new home!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nice, they should be good in there until they're ready to be outside. 

Watch to make sure they aren't huddling away from the lamps, that would mean it's too warm. 

I see you gave the brooder some thought with a handle to be able to lift the lid easily.


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## Nancy B (Mar 8, 2020)

so hubby stuck a baby cam in the garage to monitor them. They appear to be moving around a bit more when we aren't in there, I'm a little more concerned about it being too cold-we love in NY, and it's still quite chilly at night. I'm sure we will be checking in on them a lot tonight. If need be I can raise those lamps to cool it down as the weather warms.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How neat is that. Now you won't be so tempted to go out every 15 mins to check on them. You probably will anyway. 

If they're crying and piled on top of each other then they're too cold. If you were not using heat lamp bulbs I'd suggest covering the top with a blanket, that holds in heat better if it becomes a problem. 

And you're finding why I eventually switched to using a cage for peeps. Danger comes from overhead so they always freak out when we look over the top. I could close off the sides and leave the front open so they could see me coming.


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## Nancy B (Mar 8, 2020)

Good to know....I was wondering why they freaked out whenever I check on them—they can’t see me coming! Maybe a plexiglass cutout on the sides for a future build? Hope these little ladies do well. We had a rough start with our first delivery when half our chicks were dead because of a snowstorm and delays in transit .


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Goes to show the instinct is hardwired in their little brains. I've seen where some used aquariums but it would have to be a big one for your girls. 

One time I was visiting someone who had their chicks out in the grass. A big bird flew overhead all those tiny bodies disappeared as they hunkered down in the grass. 

Yep, a window to the world will help them realize it's just you or your little chickie coming to just watch them be adorable.


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