THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 39

Setting up a Brooder
Establish the brooder in a room or barn that is protected from the elements, free of draft
drafts, and safe
from predators. In addition to larger, more obvious predators (such as dogs and cats) secure the
brooder from smaller predators such as rats and snakes.
The brooder must be kept uniformly warm. The temperature at the floor needs to be maintain
maintained at
90ºF or slightly higher, and temperature under the brooder at 95º F 2 to 3 inches from the floor.
Provide ventilation, allowing fresh air to circulate in the brooding area, but protect the chicks from
drafts.
The size of the brooder will depend on the number of chicks to be raised at a given time.
It should be round. If the brooder is square, round out the corners by adding semicircular pieces of
material (cardboard, wood, or sheet metal) secured in each corner. This reduces the likelihood of
chicks
ks piling into corners and suffocating the birds at the bottom.
If the brooder has been used before, disinfect it before introducing a new flock. Several weeks
before any chicks arrive, the building, brooder, and other equipment associated with the chicks
should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to prevent any contamination from pathogens that
may be present from previous flocks, other livestock or wildlife.
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