Raising a bird is a troublesome business. But, despite this, in almost every courtyard of private households and even in small summer cottages you can find not only well-groomed chickens and cockerels, but also other living creatures. There are several ways to breed birds. One of them is its breeding in brooders. With this method, daily birds are acquired for cultivation immediately after incubation. You can also buy two- or three-month-old young. Before purchasing chickens, you need to think about where they will be kept. The question arises of how to make a brooder for chickens.
There is the possibility of purchasing special devices for keeping young animals. But very often, practical owners equip the room on their own. A homemade brooder for chickens must provide all the necessary conditions for keeping the bird. Day old chicks are very vulnerable and require special care. After purchase, they are kept in containers or boxes equipped for this purpose.
Lighting and temperaturein chick brooder
Successful rearing of poultry is due to proper care, feeding and compliance with the optimal temperature and light conditions. Failure to comply with the conditions for keeping young animals will lead to his death. The temperature of keeping in the first week of life of chickens is twenty-seven degrees Celsius. In the second, it can be reduced to twenty-five degrees Celsius. Lighting must be around the clock. Over time, the illumination decreases. Thus, when making a brooder with your own hands, you need to ensure the above conditions for the chickens.
Providing comfortable conditions for young animals
Before you build a comfortable place for the chicks, you should decide on the number that will be placed in it. Permissible norms for the density of young animals are 25 pieces per square meter. Brooder drawings for chickens will be determined by this parameter. For a small number of chicks, a regular box will suffice.
Very often a cardboard or plastic box is used for these purposes. However, it will be difficult to comply with the necessary growing parameters in it. A construction made of more durable materials will be suitable.
We make a do-it-yourself brooder for chickens. Sizes and materials
Designs of boxes for rearing chicks may be different. The simplest option is a suitable box made of thick cardboard or a plastic container of sufficient size. Knowing the number of expected young birds, determinethe dimensions of the box in which they will be grown. First of all, it must provide the necessary conditions of detention, as well as be convenient for maintenance.
More practical and convenient will be boxes of certain sizes and designs. For their manufacture, you can use moisture resistant plywood. This material makes an excellent body, providing structural rigidity. The top of the box is covered with a removable mesh lid.
Chicken brooder sizes will be:
- length - 1 meter;
- height and width - 0.5 meters;
- internal height - 0.45 meters.
Assembling the structure
When making a do-it-yourself brooder for chickens, they use a wide variety of options. First of all, the design itself may have minor modifications. These can be drawers with hinged doors located on top or in the side. Use transparent plastic for windows or mesh partitions. The master can make these improvements at his discretion. At the same time, the basic principles are preserved: reliable heating and ventilation, absence of drafts, illumination and protection from predators. After acquiring the material of the desired size, which will correspond to the number of chickens, they begin to manufacture the structure. Make the body of the appropriate size.
Sidewalls must be securely fastened and have a rigid structure that allows later mounting of lighting fixtures on itappliances. The bottom of the box is made from the same material as the side walls. It is also secured securely. This ensures the movement of the box. In sunny weather, ultraviolet baths are useful for chickens. When securely fastened, the boxes can be moved freely.
For convenience, the top of the box is equipped with a hinged mesh lid. It will not interfere with the access of air and will become a reliable protection against predators. This design is convenient when caring for chicks. Daily litter change and bird feeding provide constant access to the box. Before placing the equipment, the inside of the box must be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The bottom of the box is covered with clean paper, which is changed as it gets dirty.
Thermal conditions and illumination
By making a brooder with their own hands, they organize the necessary heating and lighting for chickens. If ordinary cardboard boxes or plastic containers are used, heating and lighting are provided by ordinary table lamps. Brooders of a more complex design are equipped with infrared lighting devices. They do a great job of heating and lighting the entire brooder.
It is also possible to use heating with heaters placed at the bottom of the box. In this case, ordinary incandescent lamps are used for lighting, which are mounted at the top of the box. Sufficient thermal conditions and illumination provide comfortable conditions for the chicks. The young growth freely moves on a brooder. The temperature inside the drawer can be controlled by a hingedthermometer. The yoke is attached to the side wall.
Feeders and drinkers for chicks
In addition to heat and light, chickens need to be fed. A do-it-yourself brooder for chickens is equipped with a convenient feeder and drinker.
This simple inventory is easy to make. Glass feeders should not be used. It is better to make small, but roomy wooden ones. The design of the drinker should prevent the chicks from getting wet. It can be made from a deep saucer and a liter jar with a plastic lid with holes. It is filled with boiled water. Cover with a lid. Then, turning over, set in a saucer. Chicks will have constant access to water.
Feeding chicks
The first diet for chicks consists of a weak glucose solution and finely chopped hard-boiled egg. Greens, vegetables, millet and fat-free cottage cheese are added to subsequent feedings. You need to make sure that there is always fresh water in the drinker. The feeders are well lit. Feeding dry food provides for constant illumination. When using wet mixers as food, the light duration is reduced to seventeen hours. Vitamins A, B, E will be useful in the diet. They are added to the feed at the rate of 1 drop per 1 chicken. Fish oil also promotes good growth.
