What are alternatives to using an infrared brooder?

Question

What are alternatives to using an infrared brooder?

Answer 1

Depends on how many chicks you have.... if you have thousands, then you need to use the infrared brooders.

If you are just trying to raise a few....25 or so, then you can use a heat lamp or a light bulb, w/ them in a large box.... making sure that you don't get them too hot and COOK them!... can happen easily!

Answer 2

You can use any type of heat source that you can regulate and keeps the temperature steady around 95 degrees F.  Hanging flood lights or the infrared flood lights work well if you give the chicks enough room.  First you need a draft free location, then hang the lights at a height which gives you around 95 degree.  You can add heat by lowering the lights and remove heat by raising your lights as needed.  Chicks can regulate the heat they need by moving away from the light or huddling around it providing they have room to move around.

These are a couple of sites showing how to make some simple chick brooders.

http://www.homestead.com/shilala/brooder...

http://www.plamondon.com/brooder.html

Answer 3

you could go all the way back to a kerosene brooder.  They also make ones that run on electricity, or you could find a broody hen and do it naturally