Author: Paul Easton Added: June 21, 2009
The chicken brooder plans are not that complicated. Considering the needs of the chicks is the only key to getting all the requirements right for that brooder. The 2 most important requirements of newly hatched chicks are space and warmth. Moreover, they also need a dry, safe, and well-ventilated place to be comfortable. A chicken brooder is best way to provide your chicks with the proper care and attention they need at this very early stage of their lives. Chicks that are newly hatched need a special shelter that is warm, dry, secure from predators like dogs and foxes, and spacious with proper ventilation and insulation. Just until the chicks lose their down or temporary feathers, they need to stay at the chicken brooder to finally get the full or real feathers to signal that they are ready for the outside world. By then, they can keep themselves protected from the elements. The chicks need ample space, roughly at about half a square foot per head, just until they are four weeks old. Getting less than this would cram them together while having more than enough would mean that it will be harder to keep the brooder warm. The chicks will need the necessary warmth so a source of heat is very essential for the first few weeks. The usual yet excellent source is a light bulb. In some cases, a better counterpart called a brooder bulb provides a better source. In addition, keep a thermometer to monitor the consistency of the temperature at around 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first weeks. Again, this is very important until they develop that full feathers to keep them warm and protected by themselves. One should acclimate or let them adjust to the cooler temperatures outside by lowering the brooder temperature to 90 degrees Fahrenheit after the first week. Every week thereafter, slightly decrease the temperature by five degrees until the brooder temperature is the same with that of the outside temperature. Be very precise and observant when adjusting the brood temperature. A slightly cooler temperature than they can tolerate might get your chicks to develop diarrhea and get sick. Furthermore, if the chicks get cold while sleeping they could pile up on top of each other and might end up suffocating. On the other hand, if it gets too hot, the chicks cannot tolerate that and might die. In a gist, you can tell if the chicks are comfortable in the brooder. Here are two simple tests: observe if they will roam throughout the brooder while awake and if they sleep side by side each other. If they are, your chicken brooder plan was a success.
--- See the step-by-step guide to Build Chicken Coop from scratch. Need more details with chciken coop building? Learn more with our blog updates at Chicken Coop Designs.
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