Brooder Cages

Angle iron was used to build a frame for the cages. It is two tier high with a three cage capacity across.

I  use "duct metal" trays for catching poop underneath. (I have access to this material and can bend it myself to the size I need. The only problem is it is very light weight so if you let your trays get to full it will bend when you try to empty them)

It would be better if there was wheels on the legs  for easy moving and cleaning. So far I have not managed to accomplish this but it is on my list of "to do's" this year.

First cage is in place with 7 Marans chicks in it. The nights can get pretty cold in Missouri so I have added a heat lamp and put a temporary metal panel over the top and a tarp on the side to hold some extra heat. These chicks are just 3 weeks old. Don't want them catching cold. 

Since these pictures have been taken we have installed an automatic watering system that is completely portable for easy removal during the winter months.

This is the outside faucet	water comes into the barn overhead		Add reducer and split to cages and runs

I am now hatching all year round so I needed a better way to brood my chicks and move them around so they were not either freezing in the barn or upsetting my husband in the house. I now have my big cabinet incubator in the basement with several plastic draw brooder boxes.

As the chicks hatch I take them out of the incubator and warm them in the draw. they stay inside the draw for at least 3-4 days maybe longer depending on which breed they are.

Then they move to my garage into a brooder cage that has aluminum sides to help keep the heat inside with a 100 watt light bulb suspended over the top. They stay in here for at least 3-4 weeks again depending on the breed. It also depends on how cold the temps are outside as well. Before I then put them in the big brooder racks I have set up in the barn. They are about 3 months old when I put them down on deep shavings in my grow out pens. I find keeping them on wire gives me less sickness and worm problems. This just works best for me and is very easy and simple to maintain them.

If the outside weather conditions are really bad then I will move them into a portable wire cage that I have now placed on wheels so I can wheel it in and out of my garage so it is not constantly in my way and I can clean it very easily.

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