Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
in brooding equipment typically made for larger broods, making the discount-store
plastic tub method the best choice. Those desiring a larger-scale operation may find
the best raising system to be an entire rack (four or five) of metal tier brooders. With
these, multiple batches of chicks can be raised simultaneously.
Brooder Choices
There are a number of ways to raise baby birds. You could let a mother hen do the work,
although this natural method is not usually an option until you have an established flock
(see
chapter 18
, Incubation).
Large-scale metal brooders
are another option. They can handle between 250 and
500 chicks each and require a large space inside a building — not really practical for the
average backyard raiser. These are designed for placement on the floor in the center of
the room, where chicks can run in and out under the cover, and find the food and water
located on the edges of the brooder. The birds are warmed by either a series of large heat
bulbs or a single bulb with a heating element attached to a thermostat. Some of these
brooders are propane fueled.
Metal tier brooders
are available for purchase as single units or entire systems that
usually include four or five separate tiers, each capable of handling 25 to 50 chicks. The
tiers rest on a metal rack with rollers, which allows for easy transport around your fa-
cility. This setup is ideal for a raiser who wants to start the young ones in the corner
of the garage with minimal mess. Each of the tiers has feed and water pans in the form
of troughs on the outside edges. Each tier also has a heating element and an adjustable
wafer-controlled thermostat to maintain the proper temperature.
Metal tier brooders are really ideal for the Nervous Nellie who worries that condi-
tions and temperatures aren't quite right. The thermostat assures that the temperature
won't vary much from night to day. These systems have become more expensive in re-
cent years, however, mostly due to the decline in the number of manufacturers. But if
you're planning to raise one or more batches of chicks a year over a number of years,
it's a worthy investment.
