Chicken Brooder Plans - Considering the 2 Most Important Needs of the Chicks

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					The chicken brooder plans are not that complicated. Considering the needs of the
chicks is the only key to getting all the requirements right for that brooder. The 2 most
important requirements of newly hatched chicks are space and warmth. Moreover,
they also need a dry, safe, and well-ventilated place to be comfortable.

A chicken brooder is best way to provide your chicks with the proper care and
attention they need at this very early stage of their lives. Chicks that are newly
hatched need a special shelter that is warm, dry, secure from predators like dogs and
foxes, and spacious with proper ventilation and insulation.

Just until the chicks lose their down or temporary feathers, they need to stay at the
chicken brooder to finally get the full or real feathers to signal that they are ready for
the outside world. By then, they can keep themselves protected from the elements.

The chicks need ample space, roughly at about half a square foot per head, just until
they are four weeks old. Getting less than this would cram them together while having
more than enough would mean that it will be harder to keep the brooder warm.

The chicks will need the necessary warmth so a source of heat is very essential for the
first few weeks. The usual yet excellent source is a light bulb. In some cases, a better
counterpart called a brooder bulb provides a better source. In addition, keep a
thermometer to monitor the consistency of the temperature at around 95 degrees
Fahrenheit for the first weeks. Again, this is very important until they develop that full
feathers to keep them warm and protected by themselves. One should acclimate or let
them adjust to the cooler temperatures outside by lowering the brooder temperature to
90 degrees Fahrenheit after the first week.

Every week thereafter, slightly decrease the temperature by five degrees until the
brooder temperature is the same with that of the outside temperature. Be very precise
and observant when adjusting the brood temperature. A slightly cooler temperature
than they can tolerate might get your chicks to develop diarrhea and get sick.
Furthermore, if the chicks get cold while sleeping they could pile up on top of each
other and might end up suffocating. On the other hand, if it gets too hot, the chicks
cannot tolerate that and might die.

In a gist, you can tell if the chicks are comfortable in the brooder. Here are two simple
tests: observe if they will roam throughout the brooder while awake and if they sleep
side by side each other. If they are, your chicken brooder plan was a success.