Setting Your Brooder Up For Success

During the first weeks, your new birds will need to be kept at a much higher air temperature than you would be comfortable with. They will need to be kept in a warm, clean, and dry brooder, protected from predators, and supplied with fresh food and water. We recommend setting up their brooder space at least 24 hours prior to their arrival so that you have plenty of time to make any necessary adjustments before they arrive.

Tips For A Successful Brooder

• A large plastic tote, stock tank, wooden box, or kids’ swimming pool are all good brooder options… something with solid sides to help prevent drafts and keep your chicks contained. If it has been used for poultry previously, scrub with 10% bleach solution and allow to dry before new chicks are introduced. It is recommended to allow around 0.5 square feet of brooder space per bird.
• Pine shavings or similar bedding material. Do not use newspaper in your brooder. It is too slick for baby poultry to get a good foothold and can cause a condition called “spraddle leg.”
• A heat source for keeping the brooder at the proper temperature. We recommend a 125-250 watt heat bulb. Varying the height and/or wattage of the bulb will yield the desired temperature.  Raise the bulb or lower the wattage to decrease the temperature. Lower the bulb or increase the wattage to raise the temperature.
• A thermometer placed at chick level in the brooder. 95 degrees is the ideal brooder temperature for the first week of the chicks’ lives. Then lower the brooder temperature by 5 degrees each week until they are fully feathered out (6-8 weeks).
• Brooder plates are for indoor brooding. If the room temperature falls below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, your brooder plate will not provide enough heat for your new hatchlings, and another heat source will need to be added.
  • Brooder plates mimic a mother bird using warmth and touch, so using a thermometer to measure the temperature is unreliable. It is important to watch the behavior of your poultry to determine their comfort level. If they are peeping and huddled together, adjust the plate lower, as this is a sign they are too cool. If they are avoiding the heat plate altogether, it may be too low, therefore providing too much warmth. Click here for more information regarding brooder plates.
• Food and water in containers that chicks can reach but not crawl into or spill. For more information on feed recommendations and requirements, please read our Poultry Feed Guidelines.

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