Spot Brooding Kit

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Need a brooder for large number of chicks!!!

One of the most common question  customers ask about my brooding boxes is, how many chicks this brooder can hold?. No matter how big is your brooder box, it can hold only a limited number of chicks. The brooding box method  may be a good choice  for the first few days, when chicks are very small, less mobile and rest most of the time. However with in  3-4 days they become very active, need much more bigger space and make brooder very messy. The brooding box method is not good for large number of chicks. The space requirement for a chick in a brooder  for 0-4 weeks, is half a square foot and for 4-6 weeks it is 1 square foot. If the brooding boxes are congested you will have sick chicks, dead chicks, chicks fighting with each other, slow growth rate and a very messy brooder.

If you have few chicks  say 5-6 a small brooding box is  a very good choice. However if you have more chicks then you need a bigger brooding box or  you may  adapt a spot brooding method .

Spot Brooding / Radiant Heating method : –  In this method you do not need a brooding box, You can set a brooding area in your barn, shed , garage or a spare room and with some reasonable arrangements in your coop.  The room / shed / garage where you set up brooding area should be insulated with ambient  temperature not less then 15 degree C.  In this method you  hang the heat source 30-40 centimeter above the ground. The radiant  heat from ceramic heat lamp heats  the objects which the radiation falls on i.e  the chicks and the bedding. In this method you don’t have to warm up the whole box. You do not need a thermostat to control the temperature.  Above all you do not have clean it on daily basis, if provided adequate bedding , you may have to clean it once a weak.

You will need  to set up a  surround / brood guard to contain the chicks in the heated area and to exclude draughts.  The surround is usually about 450mm to 600mm high. Common materials for the surround are sheet metal and corrugated cardboard.  The heater is suspended above the brooder area at a height dependent on the type of heater, and the amount of heat energy available from it. For example with a small number of chicks, say 30 and a 75 watt ceramic element brooder, the element and shade would be suspended about 30cm above the litter if the ambient temperature was about 10oC.The actual heights to set the brooder will depend on the reaction of the chicks when they have settled in the brooder area.  If the chicks are huddled together under the heat, then the brooder is too cool, lower the heater.  If the chicks are spread out against the surround then the brooder is too hot, raise the height.  If the chicks are all on one side then there is a draught.  If the chicks move freely over the whole area then the heat is about right.

This brooding method is very practical.  You can raise large number of chicks  with out caring about space available to them. You will not have to clean with type of brooder every day.  As the chicks grow bigger you can expand the area for chicks to roam around.

However you will need to select shed / garage which is fairly insulated and temperature does not drop below 15o . If you are brooding in a shed, and the shed roof is not insulated, frosts and cold air will effect the chicks quite badly. You will also have to make sure this area is safe from night time predators, otherwise you can lose all your chicks. Similarly you have keep your cat / dog away from this area.

 

 

Materials Required.

Heat Source:- This kit comes with a 30 cm diameter lamp shade,  SSA approved Au plug  , on/ off switch and wire. It has a lollipop ceramic heat lamp. The 100 watt ceramic heat lamp is suitable for 30-40 chicks. Brooder needs to be securely hung with a chain, and adjusted to suit the chicks.  This is infrared heater  ( heats bodies not the air) as opposed to an air heater.

 

2)  Bedding/ Litter: – You need to cover the floor of your brooding area  with litter. Use a dry, clean material with good absorption qualities. Wood shavings  available from stock feed shops are the best choice. However, you need to make sure to select course shavings. Sawdust and fine shavings can lead to litter picking by chicks, which can cause gizzard impaction and lead to death. Chopped wheat straw is another commonly used bedding. It’s preferred to other varieties of straws such as rye, oat or barely because they contain oil that reduces their ability to absorb moisture. Other materials to choose from are sugar cane and peanut shells. No matter which material you chose, you should spread it over the bottom of your brooder so that it is at least 4 inches thick. Bedding should be changed at least weekly. The frequency of cleaning will also increase as your chicks grow.

 

3)  Brooder Guard:-  You’ll need a brooder guard to keep them from wandering away from the heat source in the center. You can build yours using cardboard, tar paper or wire. Make it about one foot high and about 18 feet and 10 inches long to form a large circle. These measurements will give you about 3 feet between the brooder and edge of the guard.

 

4)  Food and Water: – When you are setting up the logistics of the brooder, keep the feeder and waterer next to the heat source; if chicks have to explore, some won’t find the them. A good brooding setup should allow the chicks to sit directly under or by their heat source and easily see the food and water.