Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
An easy, cheap and reliable solution: the plastic tub brooder (cutaway view)
You can purchase the plastic tubs from a nearby department, discount, or house and
garden store — any color will do — and you won't need the lid. The height of the tub,
which varies only slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, allows for a good dis-
tance between the babies and their heat source when you've fashioned a screen for the
top. The plastic sides also make it draft free, which is very important for young poultry.
Roughly 50 day-old chicks fit in a 110-quart (104 L) plastic tub, but time will pass
quickly, so plan ahead and purchase several tubs. By the end of the first week I divide
them into three groups, putting groups of 15 to 20 chicks each in separate tubs. Alternat-
ively, you can fit up to 25 in a tub comfortably for the first two weeks of their lives. You
also can buy smaller plastic tubs, but the 110-quart (104 L) size is the most functional
for a batch of chicks. If you have fewer chicks, they can just live in the brooder longer.
If you plan to raise a greater number of babies, you may wish to use something larger
than the plastic tub. Old, discarded livestock water tanks — even those that are rusted
in spots or have holes in them — make excellent starter brooders for a larger number of
chicks. Caulk or cover large holes (chick-sized and up). Smaller holes can be left: they
will drain water, which makes this a very usable structure. Unless the tank is an atypical
size, 100 chicks, 50 ducklings or poults, or 25 goslings will usually fit nicely in one of
these for several weeks.
Making It Comfortable
Line each plastic tub with five or six newspaper pages. Be sure to use the news sections,
not the slickly finished pages found in the store advertisement sections or magazines.
Slick surfaces provide too many chances for tender young feet to slip, and slipping and
