We built a chick brooder house! Here is a tour of what we made sure to include in the brooder house to keep baby chicks comfortable and happy.
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I've been raising chickens for a couple of years now. I usually have a brooder in the garage where the chicks stay warm and cozy for the first few weeks of their lives. When they are big enough and get their feathers, I then move them to the outdoor coop. In the next few months, I am planning on raising meat chickens as well as the egg layers. Since I will be buying a much larger quantity of meat chickens, I needed to have something bigger than the garage brooder for the chicks.
The new chick brooder house has a 10 x 10 outdoor run. It's pretty secure with chicken wire around the whole thing. There are tree branches over the top, so hopefully that will deter any aerial predators. There is a door directly from the brooder house into the run, just the right size for little chicks. They will be able to go in and out when the weather is nice and they are big enough.
The building itself is 10 x 10. It has a repurposed metal door with a screen. It also has an outside latch so nothing can get in. The brooder house also has electric run to it and has a tall ceiling so we can get in and out and move around for cleaning and caring for the chicks.
There are two windows that can be opened for allowing the brooder to air out. The door also allows air to come in. The building is fully insulated so chicks can be raised all winter!
I am keeping twelve egg layers in the brooder house for now. When they are grown up and ready to move to the coop, I will get my first round of meat chickens!
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Baby Chick Starter Home Kit I used this to start out when the chicks were small.
Plastic flip top feeder I like this feeder for the brooder. It's a good size, and all the chicks can get in there.
Metal feeder This is another feeder option.
Large chick feeder I will be switching out to a larger feeder soon.
Metal waterer This is a good option for a waterer for your chicks.
Feed and waterer combo Another option for feeding and watering chicks.
Chick food I love this organic, non-GMO, corn-free, soy-free option for chick food.
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