What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

Raising chicks of chickens on your own is not an easy task. In this case, for the first few weeks, the mother hen is replaced by a device in the form of a box in which they eat, warm themselves, and grow. If you want to make such a brooder for chickens with your own hands, then study the given drawings or photographs and follow the instructions.

Raising chickens is not easy

Advantages

Homemade brooders, which are built by poultry farmers for chickens, are characterized by the following advantages:

determination of the size by the number of heads;
cost savings;
original author's design (optional).

Materials (edit)

A brooder for chickens is often made using scrap materials: boxes, old bedside tables, fragments of barrels. However, to make the frame and other parts, it is better to use new, high-quality tools:

wooden boards or beams;
sanded plywood;
thick cardboard.

Chicken brooder

Additionally you will need:

mesh fragments (mesh size no more than 15 by 12 mm);
metal corners;
door hinges.

Homemade brooders that are built for chickens need precision. To ensure that the doors close tightly and there are no gaps between the walls, carefully follow the markings.

Tools

saw;
hammer;
screwdriver;
pliers, wire cutters;
self-tapping screw;
tape measure or centimeter;
emery;
pencil, paper for marking.

To make a brooder for chickens, you need working skills hand tools, ability to build and read blueprints.

Standards

Room requirements for chicks:

warm;
light;
dry;
well ventilated.

Remember that each device has a litter tray. The brooders you are going to make for chickens come in several basic variations.

It is better to use quality materials for making a brooder.

Option 1

two square sheets of plywood or multilayer cardboard 1 cm thick and measuring 2 by 2 m;
fine mesh;
self-tapping screws (or nails);
door hinges - 4;
slats or bars;
metal corners.

Instructions:

cut the sheets into 2 equal shares, three are the top, bottom and back wall;
cut the fourth in half (sides of the device);
using screws and corners, assemble the body;
knock down two frames from the bars to the floor and pull them onto one net;
install pieces of slats above the floor on the side walls, place the frame on them;
on the second frame, reinforce the sheets of plastic or linoleum and lay it on the floor under the first frame;
partially attach the remaining bars to the frame, partially assemble them in the form of doors and stretch the material with cells on them;
install a limiter on the door so that they do not open inward, and latches; attach to the bars on the frame.

Option 2

It differs from the previous one in greater simplicity of design and assembly. It is also characterized by legs that make it easy to care for pets. The materials are taken the same, but with a large number of bars (slats):

assemble frames for the lower and upper parts;
using the side rails, connect the frames and construct the frame;
the floor, back and sides are made with solid pieces of plywood;
in the middle, vertically connect the top and bottom with a bar or rail;
assemble the device using self-tapping screws or nails;
attach the mesh in front, nail four bars in the form of legs to the sides;
cut out the plywood doors and install with the hinges on the top;
remember to attach the latches.

Option 3

This device with glass lid and heating with hot water... Well suited for summer days, for its residents to warm up near the closed part, if it gets colder, and go out under Sun rays... The drawing shows the division of the space of the box into 2 parts.

For manufacturing, take:

ready-made long box or standard materials;
organic glass;
metal hinges;
mesh material;
self-tapping screws;
canister;
fragments of tissue.

DIY chicken brooder

Observe the specified dimensions and the sequence of actions:

assemble the frame in an already known way;
mark two segments in the box or assembled case;
make double walls 15 cm above the floor in the closed part;
nail the canister holders to them;
make a frame out of the slats and insert the glass;
install the holders for the frame in the open part along the walls, select the angle of inclination and attach it with hinges to the rails above the double wall;
attach the side door on the hinges, it is better to make the ventilation hole with a mesh on the side;
install the cover, fill the space between the walls with insulating material (sawdust, rags);
hang a screen between two segments;
canister with hot water place on holders and put a layer of cotton wool or rags on top, cover with a lid.

Lighting and temperature

Violations temperature regime affect the behavior and well-being of young animals. If the residents of the device have enough warmth, then they move around the perimeter, are mobile, do not lose their appetite. At low temperatures, they squeak, worry, huddle together near heat sources to keep warm.

In the first 14 days of life, chicks need a round-the-clock light mode.

For day old babies, a temperature of 29-30 degrees Celsius is suitable. After seven days, it is recommended to reduce it to 26 degrees, and one-month-old young grows well at 18. For small broilers, these figures are 2-3 units higher. However, excessive heating will also negatively affect the health of the pets. Watch the thermometer readings. Also install a power regulator to prevent abnormal temperatures.

In the first 14 days of life, chicks need a round-the-clock light mode. Then this figure decreases to 14-17 hours for meat breeds and to 8 for egg breeds. At lower rates, young animals feel worse and develop more slowly. Do not allow this - calculate the temperature and light conditions in the room so that its inhabitants do not freeze and do not get sick.

Type 1

This is an outdoor version. To provide brooders with the right temperature and light for the chicks, you will need:

glass three-liter jar; a fragment of light-colored natural fiber fabric; cartridge; a piece of cable; fork; light bulb 60 watts.

Assemble the structure:

connect the cable with one end to the socket, the other to the plug;
screw the end of the lamp into the socket and place in the jar;
wrap it with a thick layer of cloth so that the chicks do not get burned;
securely fix the ends of the rag;
put the jar on the floor and turn on the electricity.

The disadvantages of such heating are that the young are fighting for a place at the bank, and weak specimens die from suffocation.

Chicks need light and warmth

Type 2

The chicken brooder is also supplied with lighting and heating with a 60W lamp. If desired, replace it with a mirror or infrared version. You will also need:

a fragment of a cable (the length depends on the location of the outlet);
cartridge;
fork;
power regulator.

To craft a homemade light source:

attach a plug on one side of the cable;
to the other - the cartridge;
fix it to the ceiling of the device;
follow the power regulator.

Arrangement

Brooders, in addition to heating and lighting, create the opportunity for chicks to exercise. Use decking to provide the young growth with suitable space for development and growth. Use a light, thin bedding in the summer. In winter, the deep option is preferable. Do not take for this purpose: straw, chaff, fragments of corn husks.

It is important to properly equip the brooder

This natural raw material molds easily. Poisoned by the fungus, small chickens will die. Also, avoid using sawdust (chicks eat them and die). Lay the husks from seeds, dry peat, sand. Place 2-3 sheets of paper on top. It is better to choose a mesh for the floor with small cells - from 10 by 10 mm to 15 by 12 mm. Such sizes will not allow the legs of the chicks to fall through, but at the same time they will let the droppings down.

For which an additional hole is cut at the bottom of the wall. They are characterized by the following advantages: pets do not scatter food, you serve food without disturbing the inhabitants of the box, the size is regulated in accordance with the livestock.

It is not recommended to put large containers or plates with water - babies drown in them, they also increase the level of humidity in the room. A similar danger is concealed by vacuum micro-drinkers for 10 heads. It is better to purchase with a sensitive nipple and install a droplet catcher under it.

So that the inhabitants of the room do not get sick, provide them with an air humidity of 60 to 70%. To maintain this level on time, remove droppings and wet feed that release moisture into the environment. Excess dampness, which is an additional source of open drinkers, harms the health of the chicks. Excessive dryness of the air also negatively affects. Maintain a suitable humidity level:

ventilate the room;
keep it clean, change the flooring regularly;
set the size suitable for babies;
Empty the drip catchers in time.

Chicks will be healthy if the brooder is kept clean

To make the life of pets comfortable, correctly calculate the area for the number of inhabitants. For 30-35 heads, there is enough space in the device with a length of 120 and a width of 45 cm. Provide fresh air in the room, ventilate more often. Avoid drafts, however - birds easily catch colds and die.

Attach the mesh to the doors from the inside;
outside to preserve heat, install a removable plastic plate on the mesh or use adhesive tape for this purpose;
the drawing shows a method for fixing the mesh;
cut it not in the middle of the cell, but closer to the joint at the edges;
plastic plates are also used for the manufacture of the premises;
the pallet is made of bent galvanized steel.

Brooders are home-made constructions for chickens, the production of which does not take much time and money. All you need is inexpensive materials and tooling skills, and as a result, you will create cozy home, in which your future herd will comfortably spend the first weeks of life.

Poultry are very sensitive and vulnerable to temperature extremes, low light and high humidity... The first weeks of their lives should be warm and comfortable. Otherwise, there is a risk of hypothermia, illness and death.

To keep the chicks alive, experienced breeders use brooders. With the blueprints and dimensions available, it will only take a few evenings to make them. What is a brooder and how to make it depending on the type of birds being bred?

A brooder is a place or room reserved for the life of chicks. It should have an accessible place for feeding, drinking and heating chicks.

Primary requirements:

dry, non-slippery floor;
good ventilation and no drafts;
reliable coating that protects against precipitation;
the presence of a heating system. A heater is installed and;
adequate lighting. For the passage of ultraviolet radiation, some walls are made of mesh, and at night they are covered with a cloth to reduce heat loss;
the presence of a separate removable pallet or container under the floor for excrement;
the structure should be easy to disinfect and clean.

Necessary materials

To make a reliable do-it-yourself brooder, you need to use high-quality, wear-resistant materials. It is desirable that they withstand exposure to moisture, light and heat. You can use the following materials:

plywood or OSB sheet - for the base of the structure and its walls;
wooden bars and slats - for the frame, doors and other elements;
galvanized mesh with cells 10 × 10 mm - for protection from other animals;
slate sheet - to protect against precipitation;
hinges - for doors;
sheet of tin, pallet, oilcloth or plastic panel, the net is for excrement.
The net is taken depending on the age of the chicks. The smaller they are, the smaller the grid cell size;

screws or nails;
incandescent lamp from 25 to 60 W;
reflector;
lamp cable and plug;
thermometer;
heater;
thermostat - to regulate heating, as well as auto shutdown and turn on the incandescent lamp.

When designing a brooder, you need to remember that the chicks will stay there for up to 2-3 months. And one chick should have at least 0.1 m2. Therefore, it is worth considering how many chickens are planned to be kept in the brooder. And already from their number, calculate the size of the structure.

The tools you need

To mount the structure with your own hands, you will need a certain set of tools:

Screwdriver or drill.
Hacksaw.
Screwdriver.
Roulette.
Scissors for metal.
Hammer.

Tip: Place the brooder on the south side of the house to reduce exposure to cold winds.

How to make a brooder for chickens

A brooder for raising chickens is different in design from other birds. The table below shows the 4 characteristics of these brooders.

How to make a simple brooder:

Make a rough design drawing, depending on the number of chickens.

Tip: try to use already finished structure such as a drawer or bedside table. This will make your work easier and help avoid calculation errors.

Dimension the plywood and cut out the side and back walls.
Cut 6 strips from the bars for the walls of the same length (stiffening ribs). They are fastened, retreating from the edge by a few centimeters.
Do the same with the lower part, observing all dimensions. Otherwise, the bottom and stool tray will not be able to slide out easily.
Drill a hole for the wiring, stretch the wires, attach the cartridge, lighting fixture and heater.

Optimal brooder dimensions

Interesting: if there is not enough light from one lighting fixture, you can also install an infrared lamp.

All walls can be insulated with foam to avoid drafts and keep warm inside.

Attention: if you just glue the walls with Styrofoam, then the chickens will perceive it as food and peck at the white balls. Therefore, it is advisable to sew the foam on top with cardboard.

Bring all sides together. If everything is done correctly, then the grooves on the bottom wall will coincide with the side ones.
Cut the front wall out of plywood, and attach the hinges on the side for future doors.
Make a hole or window of strong mesh in the sheet for observation of chicks and ease of maintenance.
Cut a sheet of metal or plywood for the cover.
Make a pull-out tray from a material that does not get wet or rot. Fix the pallet with wooden blocks.

Tip: it is better to use sand with small pebbles as a filler in the pallet. The sand absorbs moisture quickly and the pebbles help the chicks digest well.

Place food and water containers.
Warm up the brooder and let the chickens in.

Step-by-step making a wall brooder with your own hands (personal experience)

According to the drawing, we assemble a frame from a bar, fasten it to the wall

We lay the net on the floor

We sheathe partitions, inside which we put cables on the display cases and cartridges

We cover the top with polycarbonate

We also make doors from a bar and sheathe it with a net. We put on the hinges

The glow of the lamps is controlled by a special regulator, which can be bought at any electrician store. You can set any brightness, thereby adjusting both the lighting and the temperature inside.

Pull-out trays under the floor to remove droppings

Brooder is ready to receive chicks!

Quail brooder

To keep the quails from getting sick, the brooder must be kept clean. Do not put cardboard on the bottom, as it is fire hazardous, fragile and does not withstand antiseptic treatment. For this case, plywood or boards from 20 to 30 mm are suitable. They must be treated with safe disinfectants. The removable litter net should be cleaned regularly.

Advice: a net with mesh sizes depending on the age of the chicks is placed on the bottom. For example, for quail up to 5 days - a 5 × 5 mm mesh, up to 2 weeks - a 10 × 10 mm mesh, up to a month - a 25 × 15 mm mesh. In the early days, you can put two layers of fine mesh so that the chicks' legs do not fall through.

Brooder for ducklings

Do you use a brooder in your poultry industry?

Without him nowhereNo, not needed

Photo: DIY brooders options

To raise young poultry, you need a specially equipped place - a brooder for chickens. This is a box, cage or fenced corner in a room with a heated floor. After all, chickens need warmth, light, air. There it is necessary to provide for the organization of feeding the young. Cleaning the floor from waste products is also an important stage of care. This process should be simple. After all, chickens growing among the droppings peck it up, get sick. This can lead to their death.

Show all

Brooder for chickens: purpose, features

Often the poultry farmer needs to raise the young without participating in the brooding process. Then you need to create for the chickens the necessary conditions for growth, healthy way life.

Chick brooders must meet the following requirements:

1. They must receive air.
2. Sunlight is essential for the health of the young.
3. The temperature regime is very important: it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature in the cage, depending on the age of the chicks.
4. Do not allow a large accumulation of individuals in one compartment: chickens, huddling in a bunch, trample the weak.
5. Daily cleaning of bird droppings from the floor is a mandatory procedure. It is the task of the wizard to simplify this process.
6. Providing convenient feeders and drinkers for chickens is an important part of the work on the equipment of the place for rearing chickens.

Methods for making a place for keeping chickens:

carton boxes;
old aquariums, terrariums;
old bedside tables;
wooden boxes- a crèche;
heated wooden cages with pallets and doors;
heated multi-storey cages with pallets and doors for keeping large numbers of young animals.

Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Carton boxes

The easiest and cheapest option for keeping chickens. The place where the brood is kept is made of waste material... Anyone can make such a nursery for broiler or quail chicks with their own hands: no drawings or special skills are required. It is enough to figure out how to heat the chickens, and the "room" itself is ready.

Cardboard box chicken brooder

Another advantage of using cardboard boxes for rearing poultry is that they do not need to be stored until next year.

Disadvantages of using cardboard boxes:

the inability to clean the floor of droppings, which is why the smell of ammonia in the room where the chicken house is located not only causes trouble for the poultry farmer, but also harms the pets;
high fire hazard;
poor retention of heat inside, therefore, when heating with electricity, the costs are high;
warpage of cardboard from indoor humidity;
inconvenience when keeping a large number of chickens: when the boxes are stacked on top of each other, the chicks suffocate, when using the shelves, caring for the young is very difficult.

Cardboard boxes are used for short-term replacement of stationary heated cages or when keeping a small number of chickens.

Aquariums and terrariums

The use of glass containers for keeping young poultry is possible. Even if a crack appears in the wall of the aquarium, it has become unusable for its intended purpose, it can be given a second life in the form of a house for chicks.

Aquarium chick brooder

The advantages of choosing:

1. The glass is easy to clean.
2. The construction of aquariums and terrariums is rigid.
3. The material of such a brooder is more durable than cardboard, with careful use it is more durable than wood.
4. Walls transmit light well.
5. Thermal insulation at a height, which ensures energy savings for heating.

The disadvantages of glass poultry houses are:

it is difficult to ensure good air flow;
glass is fragile.

Plywood or board boxes

Wooden structures in the form of boxes without a top - a nursery - are easy to make if the master is familiar with working with a hammer, nails and a saw. Usually, this type of brooder is hammered together in the form of a pencil case.

Wooden brooder nursery

While the chicks are small, the top is left open. Then, as the chicks grow, they try to jump out - a net is required to cover the brooder. It is not recommended to use a solid roof: the air flow is hindered, there is no access to sunlight.

If there are holes in the brooder roof and using heat sensors connected to the heating system, you can cover the brooders with tight lids at night in order to save energy. Yes, and chicks without light reduce activity, calm down.

Such a nursery is inconvenient when cleaning the floor from waste products. Chicks need to be transferred to another place during harvesting, which is fraught with the loss of the caregiver's time, the nervous stresses of the young, the search for boxes for the temporary keeping of the chicks.

From old bedside tables, kitchen tables

If unnecessary furniture remains in the house, it can be used as a frame for a brooder.

Brooder from the old bedside table

To improve the design:

windows are cut out in the doors (or the inner plywood part of the doors in kitchen tables is taken out);
fill the windows with tulle, a plastic mosquito net, a metal lattice with small cells;
a heating element (for example, an incandescent lamp) is attached to the upper surface;
closer to the floor (just above the chicks' heads), a thermostat sensor is attached to avoid overheating of the chickens;
according to the instructions attached to the thermostat, it is connected to the heating element and the switch;
the lower board of the bedside table is removed;
instead of it, a small metal grate is pulled;
a pallet is installed under the brooder, which can be easily pulled out for cleaning.

You can on side walls fill the slats from below. They will serve as pallet rails. This will make cleaning the brooder more comfortable.

Brooder pan for collecting poultry droppings

A double floor in a bird's "house" will save chickens from poisoning, reduce the percentage of mortality of young animals. The droppings instantly fall down. Chicks do not have the opportunity to peck it.

Heated brooders are usually installed indoors. Poultry farmers use them during the first period of chickens' life or if a brood appears in early spring when it's still cold outside. In warm weather on outdoors use other cages for walking young animals, without additional heating.

Wooden brooders with pallets and doors

The construction of this structure is the same as in the above-described version - "Bird houses from old bedside tables, kitchen tables". Only the walls here are made by the master himself. To make a heated cage, you will need a drawing.

Drawing for the manufacture of a brooder frame for chickens

The sizes can be arbitrary. Here are offered the optimal for keeping 30 heads of young poultry. This design is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. V home version heating of chicks is used, when outdoors they do without it.

Chicken brooder made of wood

You can complete the work according to the instructions in a few hours. The main thing is to have everything you need at hand:

plywood sheet;
slats for fastening parts of the frame, decorating a door with a mesh, designing rails for a pallet;
latch for the door;
hinged door hinges;
mesh for the door;
metal grate for the floor;
nails;
hammer;
saw.

First, the side and back walls are cut out of plywood.

Brooder sidewalls

On the sidewalls and the back wall, slats are stuffed along the bottom: for the lattice and pallet rails.

Ready-made sidewalls for brooder

Vertical slats play the role of stiffeners.

Now the side and back walls need to be knocked down together.

It is important to make sure that the tips of the nails do not protrude anywhere. Even small notches can cost chickens their lives.

The master can design the front wall-door at his discretion, two or one-leaf. Depending on this, hinges are stuffed onto the door.

A do-it-yourself brooder for chickens is ready

After that, you can pull the mesh over the door, fixing it to overall design... At the bottom you need to fill a metal grate. The roof is made at will - home brooders can do without it.

The pallet is cut to size, slats are stuffed along the edges to ensure the collection of manure without the possibility of it falling onto the floor. The frame of the brooder is ready, it remains to put a feeder, a drinker inside, install a thermostat sensor and heating.

The brooder is intended for keeping broiler chicks in the first weeks of life. it simple construction, which provides everything necessary for the normal growth and development of chicks. The brooder perfectly replaces a brood hen for babies, heats up babies when they are hatched in an incubator. Making a brooder for chickens with your own hands, having drawings and dimensions, is quite simple. Best ideas presented on our website.

Pictured is a chicken brooder made from a cardboard box

Do-it-yourself brooder for chickens: drawings, view O

You can buy an excellent brooder at any specialty store. However, the price of the device is often too high, so many poultry farmers decide to make a simple analog on their own. Since a brooder is a simple box with various accessories, it is usually easy to build a structure. It only takes a couple of hours, and you can put the device into operation.

Taking the factory version as an example, everyone can handle the job. Here are a few guidelines to consider when making your equipment so that the brooder will work well for your chicks as a result. These are the aspects:

To simplify cleaning of the device, it is recommended to make a trash tray under the brooder.
An important requirement is to provide good inside. Drafts have an extremely negative effect on the health of babies. Good ventilation in the brooder is the key to the health of the young.
The creation of an optimal microclimate inside is achieved by installing air humidifiers and heaters.
The size of the brooder must be determined in advance. It all depends on how many chickens you need to keep in it. It is not recommended to place more than 50-60 broiler chicks on 1 square meter.

Plywood with a sheet thickness of about 1-1.5 cm is used as the main material for a brooder. In a thin-walled structure, it is difficult to maintain a constant temperature. You can consider options for making a brooder from scrap materials or simply retooling old furniture.

The brooder perfectly replaces a brooding hen for babies, heats up babies when they are hatched in an incubator

How to make a do-it-yourself brooder for raising chickens?

After purchasing all necessary materials and equipment, you can get to work. First of all, the frame of the brooder is assembled, the size is selected individually. It is not recommended to build a product with a height of more than 50 cm, since then there may be difficulties with heating the chicks. There is not enough heat and the chicks will freeze.

The bottom of the brooder is made of a fine mesh with 1x1 cm cells. Through the holes, all the debris will crumble onto the pallet. Cleaning is quick and easy, as it is enough to collect the waste from the pallet. If the pallet is installed on telescopic rails or slats, you get an excellent pull-out design.

Most often, plywood with a sheet thickness of about 1-1.5 cm is used to make a brooder.

The brooder is heated with conventional 60 W incandescent lamps. It is better to purchase special heating lamps that are inexpensive and do an excellent job. Before using the brooder, you must select optimal height the location of the lamp. To do this, measure the temperature with a thermometer.

Video on how to make a brooder for chickens with your own hands:

Have you decided to build a chicken brooder with your own hands? We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the drawings, write down the dimensions, see photos and videos. The design of the brooder is quite simple, and every chicken breeder can assemble the device. Such equipment is extremely necessary for every poultry farmer and is actively used in the spring, when the hatching of chickens and other poultry takes most of the farmers' time.

Growing poultry- quite a profitable business, if you approach it wisely. Most often grown at home chickens, ducklings and goslings... But you can grow both turkey poults and guinea fowls. It all depends on the wishes and capabilities of the farmer. Many people buy chicks in the markets and in poultry farms, but it is best to independently raise the young from eggs using an incubator. To do this, you just need to buy eggs, place them in an incubator and set the necessary parameters for temperature, air humidity, lighting. The first chicks will begin to hatch soon.

When chickens (ducklings, goslings) are still small, they are very susceptible to infections and temperature changes. The first weeks of life of young animals is the most crucial time for the owner-poultry breeder. Chicks that survive and stay healthy from birth are more likely to grow into healthy and robust birds. To make babies without a hen feel comfortable, it is recommended to make a brooder with your own hands - a device for growing young poultry, or "bird nursery".

Rules for raising newborn chickens

Newborn chickens and ducklings are born very small, helpless. But they quickly grow and gain weight (especially broiler chickens), so the dwelling for babies should be spacious. ... Chick brooder- perfect option. When raising young stock, keep in mind the following:

Description of the brooder and its purpose

Brooder is, in fact, a kind of nursery for chickens... Of course, you can purchase such equipment in specialized stores, but it will be much cheaper to make it yourself. You can make it from polycarbonate and other materials at hand. In poultry farming, it is customary to call a brooder a room for raising young poultry, equipped in accordance with the needs of the poultry. Air temperature, humidity and light intensity in the brooder can be adjusted. This is what such "nurseries" are for:

Differences between a professional brooder and a homemade one

Professionals argue that chickens that have grown with a brood are better adapted to survival and are already partially adapted to environment... These chicks can be kept in a regular box and will grow by leaps and bounds (assuming proper feeding and infection prevention, of course).

But "incubator" chicks are not at all adapted to life outside the incubator, so such babies should spend the first weeks of life in a nursery. Statistics show that the survival rate of chicks raised in a brooder is much higher than the survival rate of chicks who spent the first weeks of life in a cardboard box or other homemade home.

With specially equipped nurseries, young growth grows much faster. The main thing is to maintain an optimal microclimate inside the brooder. If the air is too dry, it becomes difficult for the chicks to breathe. Too humid air makes babies sick with dangerous infections respiratory tract, and such diseases usually lead to mass mortality of young animals. If too low or, conversely, too high temperature air chicks lose their appetite, become lethargic, and their growth and weight gain are significantly slowed down. The same thing happens when there is a lack or excess of lighting. These parameters need to be changed periodically, depending on the weather, time of day and month.

How to make a nursery for chicks

The size of a DIY chick house may vary depending on the number of chicks. Often, when there are few chicks, poultry farmers make a warm "house" for them from the usual cardboard box, but such a primitive "dwelling" has many disadvantages. Previously, even wooden boxes from under the parcels were adapted for these purposes. Therefore, experienced poultry farmers, who have a large livestock, prefer to make full-fledged "nurseries" for babies, with heating and a movable tray for collecting droppings.

The dimensions of a brooder for 100 chicks are approximately 200 cm long, 100 cm wide and 100 cm deep. It is most convenient to make a multi-tiered dwelling for young animals, consisting of separate "apartments", each of which contains a certain number of chicks. One compartment can be left unoccupied to fit there if necessary sick babies... The compartments should be located so that the breeder can freely approach each of them for visual inspection of the young. As a rule, a hand-made nursery for chickens consists of the following elements:

Actually a compartment, or "cell", in which a specific number of chicks live. There can be several such cells, depending on the number of young animals;
Adjustable wattage heater, to support optimal temperature air. It is desirable that this be a device of the type of a fan heater, supplying either hot or cold air, depending on the settings;
Ventilation hole;
Automatic feeder and drinker. If there are many chickens in the brooder, several feeders and drinkers can be placed in different corners;
Litter tray, which can be easily removed from the cage for cleaning. Then the process of cleaning the brooder will be greatly simplified;
Infrared lamp with adjustable light intensity.

The brooder must be regularly ventilated so that fresh air gets into the house for the chicks. After each feeding, you must immediately remove the remains of the feed. Chickens are susceptible to gastrointestinal infections, moreover, they are not very picky about food and bite on everything. Eating stale food can lead to mass mortality of young animals. The same goes for drinking water. Before filling the drinker, the water prepared for the chicks should settle for a while and warm up to room temperature.

Features of growing chickens in a brooder

Anyone can easily make a 150-seat brooder House master having basic concepts about the peculiarities of growing young chickens. But you need to raise babies correctly. Many novice poultry farmers face such a problem: the walls of a homemade brooder become dirty very quickly, because the chickens are actively defecating. The constant presence of droppings on the walls can contribute to the growth of dangerous pathogenic bacteria. Also, chickens kept in a dirty house have decreased appetite and slower weight gain.

In order to solve the problem, you need to lay a solid metal or plastic pallet on the floor with the walls raised by about 10 cm. Now the chickens with all desire will not be able to shred the walls. But you definitely need to put something on the pallet. You should not make a bed of sawdust: the chicks will begin to peck at them and die, clogging their stomachs. It is best to use ordinary river sand. Kids do not perceive sand as something edible, but they are happy to bathe in it when they want to clean it up. Periodically, as it gets dirty, the sand layer needs to be changed.

When the little ones grow up and begin to walk freely outside their "nursery", you can install an automatic feeder and drinker near the entrance to the brooder. Thus, in the house will appear extra space for grown chickens, and chicks will have an additional incentive to walk. When the young are very young, it is best to place food and water near the glazed part of the brooder so that the little ones can bask in the sun while they eat. In addition, it is convenient for the poultry farmer to observe through the glass how the feeding process is going on.

While walking, the chickens should be given a space near the brooder and fenced off with a metal mesh-netting so that the kids do not scatter. The net should be high enough to prevent the cat from grabbing the chicks. Keep the brooder door open while walking so that the little ones can return to the house on their own if the weather suddenly turns bad.

Breeding chickens in a brooder is fascinating activity, which a novice poultry farmer can easily handle. The main thing - maintain a microclimate in the brooder, in which the kids will feel as comfortable as possible. To do this, you need to know well the anatomy and physiology of poultry, the main features of the body of chicks. If the right conditions are maintained, chicks grow rapidly and gain weight, delighting their owners. Also, do not forget about proper feeding of babies and regularly clean the house. Chickens in home-made "nurseries" grow strong and robust, and their meat is distinguished by high taste.

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