The first temporary home where day old chicks will live until they are six weeks old is called a brooder. A brooder can be created from practically anything as long as you keep your baby chicks safe and draft free. From rubbermaid tubs, cardboard boxes, metal feed troughs or even prefabbed brooders, the possibilities are endless. If you only order a few chicks, you can start out with a smaller brooder and increase the brooder’s size as they grow. This chick brooder DIY project is super simple. The brooder should include a heat source, a feeder filled with chick feed, a waterer with marbles added for safety, and fresh kiln dried pine shavings.
Please check out the rest of my post on how to make my chick brooder DIY with all the details, photos and step-by-step set up that I wrote and photographed for HGTV. You might also find my 5 part Tilly’s Nest series Getting Started with Chickens helpful too! Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens! Trust me, it’s amazing!
2 thoughts on “Chick Brooder DIY Tutorial”
How tall should a brooder be?
Hi Ellie! Brooders are typically about 2 feet tall. However, they should have a cover such as a screen or piece of chicken wire. Once they grow their wing feathers, they can easily fly over the top. Also a cover helps to keep them safe from household predators such as cats or dogs.