Project: Aquarium Brooder

[Detlor Poultry]

Stand by for further information on the best innovation in Poultry Technology since the invention of the incubator, as well as the world's first conglomeration of singular chick rearing and gardening....

...from the people who brought you Detlor Poultry.....


The Aquarium Brooder
coming soon to a brooder near you.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i already use my 29 and 55 gallon fish tanks for brooders. i just don't use a high watt bulb on them. a standard 60-100w will do just nicely without trying to heat/burn down the house until the chicks feather out enough to be moved to a larger space. i don't raise many chicks each year in the house-if i can help it i try to let my broody cochins take over that stuff so i can keep the dust down.

 

[Jared77]

Do you insulate the outside walls of the aquarium or do you just put shavings in the bottom and hang the light and let them do their thing. Pet shop out by us sells "dry tanks" aquariums that leak CHEAP for reptiles etc so I'm curious how you set them up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't use an aquarium. My brooder is 3' x 6' made of wood and wire and is in the coop. It is really well ventilated.

A danger with the aquarium or rubber tote brooders, anything like that, is that they can get too hot. Heat is more of a danger than a bit cool. You don't need to keep the entire brooder a perfect temperature. I keep one area warm and let the rest cool off as it will, sometimes in the 40's or 50's. They wander all over and just go back to warm up when they need to. This way, I don't have to worry about keeping it the right temperature or worry about overheating them. They find their own comfort zone.

Detlor Poultry, I'm waiting to see what you've come up with. This could be interesting.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

Do you insulate the outside walls of the aquarium or do you just put shavings in the bottom and hang the light and let them do their thing. Pet shop out by us sells "dry tanks" aquariums that leak CHEAP for reptiles etc so I'm curious how you set them up.

i haven't had to insulate the tank yet but i do put a blanket under it just in case of power loss i can wrap it up to keep the chickies warm. haven't lost power yet but it is a precaution. i do put shavings in the bottom but they will need to be fully changed once a week especially if the chicks are spilling water and food. (it gets smelly and can heat the brooder and make poor air quality for them.) i use some rat mesh over the top of the tank or i could have issues with my cat trying to get a chick or two while i'm not looking. (only lost 1 to the cat because i didn't put the top on it. ) i'll put the clamp light on top of the wire when the chicks are old enough to not need as much heat-usually by about 3-4 weeks depending on feathering.

 

[CrazyPlantGirl]

you might try it, but we made one with a tote

 

[Detlor Poultry]

Detlor Poultry, I'm waiting to see what you've come up with. This could be interesting.

Aren't you all! I should've expected some confusion, but this has nothing to do with aquariums. Aquarium Brooder is just the name.