[samuria]

after the trouble with my broody hen i want
to build a brooder for 6 chicks.
(which i can get in 2 weeks)
could one of you nice people
show me a plan or picture please.

now looking for a heat lamp ...
any suggestions please

[ANHBUC]

If you can get a rabbit hutch where the lid lifts off that would be an easy option.  You would need to put some mesh over the top and once they are bigger you can put the roof back on and have the hutch outside.

For the heat lamp go for one that has a ceramic bulb holder so that you can use a ceramic bulb or a red heat bulb.  You can get ones that have adjustment on them to dim the bulb and reduce the heat.  The other option is a plug in adaptor that will do the same thing.   

[GrannieAnnie]

These are a couple of mine.

My OH made me a nice one out of an old kitchen wall cupboard, which he laid down, put a base on it and made some legs, but the easiest one was a big plastic storage box from Wilkinsons with a big square cut in the plastic lid, covered with an old metal fridge shelf and the little lamp sat on top of the wire shelf.

I even made an emergency one out of a banana box, with the top and bottom taped together made into one longish box, mesh over the top and a lamp tied at a height comfy for the chicks once!

The lamp was made from a metal lampshade from Wilkinsons, and a red bulb.  It would be fine for a few chicks if kept indoors in this nice weather, but an infra red lamp would be better.

Lots of them on Ebay and Amazon.  Whereabouts in Norfolk are you?  Anywhere near the A10?  Bearts of Stowbridge, who we get our chicken feed from do a fair range of stuff now.

[splash101]

mine are similar to GrannieAnnies.
At the moment i'm even using a large, wide bird cage with a clip on light that clips onto the bars and easy to raise or lower and dead easy to clean out.

[samuria]

many thanks for the ideas... the plastic box
is great and easy to clean.

grannie annie
iam in norwich
so stowbridge is a bit far for my feed etc

[GrannieAnnie]

Awww that's a shame as their prices are not bad.

I don't know the Norwich area I'm afraid, but hope you get sorted.

Just remember to put something anti slip down for the chicks so they don't get splayed leg.  an old towel or teatowel, or kitchen towel.  Then when they are around a week old, put shavings down for them.  they may try to eat a bit at first, but its better for them than straw, as straw get damp and can harbour moulds which can give the chicks respiratory diseases.

[Prod]

I bought mine off a lady on Preloved, it is the plastic box type with red bulb. Ive seen them on Ebay for between £21 and £30+ pounds.  This one was brand new and cost a fiver but to be honest  I would never have paid £30, the feed & water bowls are just plastic plant pot bottoms. If I needed another I would make it and spend the money on a ceramic heat lamp.

[Sassy]

RE brooder. Similar to Grannie Annie's. I used a baby bath I obtained from Freecycle and put chicken wire over the top as the chicks got bigger. It does depend on how many you have. I hung a lamp over the box which I moved up as the chicks needed the heat less. There are lots of things out there that can easily be used with a little imagination and can cost little or nothing.

[samuria]

this forum is great... many useful tips,
and helpful advise.
just been to QD and bought a large plastic
storage box with lid for £4.99
which i thought was cheap
now to get the lamp.....

are the red fireglow bulbs any good?
as seen on evilbay....

thanks all for the advise

[ANHBUC]

If you mean the old style bulb that is red, yes you can use them but I have found that they don't last that long.  They are like the normal light bulbs and tend to blow fairly quickly.  They are good to have as a back up and are cheap, I have even used a normal bulb in an emergency.

[Prod]

If you can afford one I would get  a ceramic heat lamp. They don't give off light, just heat, so it is supposed to be more natural for them.

[Sassy]

Red bulbs better than the white light ones. I have used these to good effect, just make sure you always have a spare

[GrannieAnnie]

The ceramic bulbs are good, just heat, but they do get very hot and the only ones I've ever bought are screw in types, so you'd new a holder with the screw like the table lamps that take reflector bulbs, or a proper lamp holder

This sort of thing!

http://ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Heat_Lamps_Infra_Red_Lamp_Holders_and_Bulbs.html

[ANHBUC]

The ceramic bulbs are good, just heat, but they do get very hot and the only ones I've ever bought are screw in types, so you'd new a holder with the screw like the table lamps that take reflector bulbs, or a proper lamp holder

This sort of thing!

http://ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Heat_Lamps_Infra_Red_Lamp_Holders_and_Bulbs.html

When I got mine they said they have to be ceramic holders for ceramic bulbs as they get so hot.  Used mine last week and managed to catch the bulb with a puppy training pad which melted instantly.  Now I have the job of cleaning it off the bulb!   

[GrannieAnnie]

Oooh that's right, I'd forgotten that!  Thanks ANHBUC!  I used them once in the big wardrobe I'd used as a hospital, but that's another story!

I remember bending down to see to a chick and caught my hair on the ceramic bulb.  Wondered what the smell of burning was!!