Chicken farmers have to put a lot of work into this process. Chicks need a lot of light, warm atmosphere and quality feeding. Under normal conditions, all this is provided by a brood hen. When raising chicks separately, this should be done by humans.

What is a brooder

The name of this device comes from the English word "brood". Translated into Russian, it means "to bear". A brooder for chickens can be considered a device that is designed to replace the mother hen for chickens. It is generally accepted that they must be kept in it for 60 days from the moment of birth.

Brooder

Immediately after birth, day old chicks experience severe stress. This increases the risk of getting sick. In order to support the chicks during this period, you need to provide them with quality care.

Primary requirements

Temperature for chicks in the first days of life

A brooder is practically a large box, inside of which a comfortable environment for raising chickens is created. For this, it has special nodes:

  1. There is a feeder and a drinking bowl for eating and drinking.
  2. A special device is provided to maintain the required moisture level in the brooder.
  3. This provides a comfortable level of lighting for birds.
  4. One of the conditions for keeping chickens is good ventilation, which, however, should not create drafts.
  5. The brooder has a bedding that allows the chicks to move around comfortably.

Important! When keeping chickens, it is important to pay attention not only to ensuring high-quality conditions for their keeping, but also to their stocking density. In a crowded environment, it will not work to grow a healthy and large chicken.

Design features

Chicken pen

In order for a broiler brooder to work effectively, you must pay attention to the following requirements:

  1. The floor in this device must be dry. It is unacceptable for it to be slippery.
  2. It is advisable that a tray is provided for excrement, which is located under the floor of the brooder. Cleaning should be done regularly, however if chicks are frequently disturbed it will be very stressful.
  3. Despite the importance of having good ventilation, it must be borne in mind that the presence of drafts is unacceptable.
  4. The humidity should not be too high.
  5. Chicks need constant heating. There should be a heat source in the brooder, but it should be positioned so that the chicks cannot reach it. For newly born chicks, a temperature of 35 degrees will be comfortable. After a few days, it can be slightly reduced and further maintained at the level of 30 degrees.
  6. The size of this attachment can be different, depending on the tasks facing the farmer. The average size of a brooder is 1.5 by 1.5 m.

Important! It is believed that the maximum permissible density of chicks is 25 per 1 sq. m.

Which is better: buy or make

Brooders can be found easily at specialty stores. They are of high quality and have a beautiful appearance. In most cases, it can be purchased for a price from 6 to 10 thousand rubles. There are also improved brooders that are more expensive.

DIY brooder

Tetracycline for broiler chickens (dosage with water)

DIY chick brooders will cost significantly less.In some cases, you can use the available materials at hand, which will further reduce the cost of the product.

On a note. It is not recommended to use old cardboard boxes and the like. It is possible to raise chickens in them, and the cost of this will be low, but in this case there is no way to provide the necessary conditions for the chicks (ventilation, maintaining humidity and temperature at the desired level). In addition, it is difficult to provide the required cleanliness for the chickens in such devices.

Buy or make a brooder, the farmer decides:

  1. The purchase is more expensive, but will allow you to immediately get a quality device.
  2. Making a broiler for broilers with your own hands will significantly reduce costs, but in order to build a high-quality brooder, you will need to spend some time. To do this, you will need to make the entire structure by hand, using drawings, dimensions of a brooder for chickens.

Self-production

Next, it will tell you how to make a do-it-yourself brooder for growing chickens.

Before starting work, you need to prepare the necessary tools:

  1. We need to prepare the saw.
  2. A tape measure is used to take measurements.
  3. Hammer, screwdriver, nails, screws.
  4. Pencil or felt-tip pen for various marks.
  5. Pliers and wire cutters.

Now you need to determine what materials will be needed. For this purpose, you can use boards, parts from old furniture, multi-layer cardboard, thick plywood or other similar materials.

On a note. Some craftsmen make brooders not in the form of a separate device, but enclose part of the floor in the room for chickens with partitions.

Drawings, dimensions of a do-it-yourself brooder for chickens are discussed below. Its construction can be done as follows:

  1. A 1 cm thick plywood sheet is required. A square piece measuring 1.5 by 1.5 m is required.
  2. From it you need to cut off a part measuring 1.5 by 0.5 m.
  3. The rest of the size of 100 by 150 cm must be cut into three parts 50 by 100 cm.
  4. From a piece of 50 by 150 cm, two side partitions must be sawed off, each of which has a size of 50 by 50 cm.
  5. Now you need to make a rectangular frame from a wooden bar. Its dimensions are such that previously cut plywood sheets can be attached as walls and floors.
  6. The frame should have legs 8-10 cm long.
  7. Doors are installed on the front side, they are put on hinges. In order for them to close securely, it is necessary to provide a latch.
  8. The doors are made of a wooden frame covered with a polycarbonate mesh. This will prevent the chicks from scattering and provide them with fresh air.
  9. The upper part of the side wall must be machined in such a way as to provide a lamp holder and a hole for the electrical wire. A switch will be installed on the outside of the wall.
  10. The floor is made of polycarbonate mesh. To prevent it from sagging, you need to make two transverse slats at the bottom of the frame.
  11. A horizontal frame is attached at the level of the frame legs. A plate of thick plywood covered with oilcloth will be placed on it. It is designed to collect waste products from chickens.

The surfaces of the wooden parts must be treated so that they have a smooth texture and cannot injure the chicks.

Chicks need warmth

To put the nursery with food, a horizontal slot is made in the wall through which they are placed inside. It is recommended to use the nipple model as a drinker as it does not get dirty and is safe for chicks.

You can use an incandescent light bulb to illuminate and warm up the brooder. In the first few days, the light will need to be turned on for almost all days.

additional information

Although the manufactured brooder makes it possible to successfully raise chicks, there are nevertheless possible improvements to ensure their comfort.

One of them is a thermostat. Although chicks need warmth, they find it difficult to cope with overheating.To avoid this, it is recommended to install a thermostat that will control the temperature and turn off the heater if it exceeds a certain value.

On a note. In the first three days, a temperature of 35 degrees is usually needed, then it is reduced by 5 degrees. For the entire remaining time, the chickens do not change it.

To maintain the desired humidity level, a container with water is placed inside. It is imperative that the chicks do not have access to this water, as there is a risk that they may drown. It is recommended to use nipple drinkers for drinking.

If a farmer decides to raise chicks on his own in a brooder, he must be careful to ensure that they are well cared for. It is necessary to provide heating, lighting, food, cleanliness of the room, high-quality ventilation for the chickens. If everything is done properly, the farmer will raise healthy chickens.