What is a brooder: device, dimensions, application

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Thought about what a brooder is and how to make such a device at home? A similar question is most often asked by novice breeders, since most professional poultry farmers have such equipment at their disposal. If you have only recently begun to be interested in agriculture, then the information from our article will be very relevant for you.

Description of the device and its main functions

So what is a brooder? As a rule, this device is a large box or a special box in which the newly hatched chicks are located. The name of the design comes from the English word brood - "to bear". From this follows the logical conclusion that the brooder replaces the mother of the chickens. To do this, it has everything you need for normal life:

• drinker with water (sometimes antibiotics are added);
• infrared lamp for temperature maintenance;
• feeding bowl in which food is poured.

Also in the brooder there is a special ventilation system that allows you to achieve optimal air humidity, as well as a litter designed for comfortable movement of chickens inside the structure. Some modern brooders are equipped with special sensors or even programs to maintain an optimal microclimate, but in a typical household, such a device is considered a real luxury.

What should be a quality brooder?

Decided to make a brooder for chickens? Photos from this section will help you realize your plans. However, a simple picture will not be enough to make a quality product. For this purpose, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the main design features of the device, which include the following elements:

• floor - should be as dry and warm as possible so that the chickens do not get sick;
• waste tray - will allow you to clean the brooder much faster;
• ventilation system - should not let cold drafts in;
• heating element - usually an infrared lamp plays this role.

As for the size of a brooder for chickens, made by hand, each farmer chooses these indicators for himself, based on individual preferences. The average dimensions of the fixture are usually 1.5 by 1.5 meters, however, for industrial scale, a large design can also be made. The most important thing is that it should function properly.way.

How to choose a good brooder in the store?

Now you know what a brooder is. However, in order to purchase a quality product, knowledge of one term will not be enough. To do this, you will have to pay attention to some of the nuances that have a huge impact on the characteristics of the brooder. For example, you need to choose a design with a high-quality floor. To do this, do not hesitate to touch it with your hands. If the coating is made of slippery material (lacquered plywood), then it is best to refuse to purchase such equipment.

It is also mandatory to check the performance of the heating and electronic systems. Ask the seller to turn on the infrared lamp and bring your palm to it. If you feel how the air inside is rapidly heating up, then you will not have to doubt that the lamp is working. As for ventilation, it can only be inspected visually. The main point is that the hole should not be too large. Otherwise, cold drafts cannot be avoided.

Is it difficult to make a brooder with your own hands?

Many novice farmers are interested in a similar question, because no one wants to pay 6-10 thousand rubles for a device whose cost is about 3 times less than this price. However, one cannot fail to note the fact that some modern designs are equipped with complex systems, which even a professional inventor is unlikely to be able to implement at home. Although such a brooder is useful only for largehouseholds.

Making a structure with your own hands will not be very difficult even for someone who knows nothing about breeding birds. All necessary materials are publicly available, and the most expensive device in the equipment is an infrared lamp, which can be purchased at any agricultural store. In addition, by making a brooder yourself, you will not only save quite a good amount of money, but also enjoy the creative process.

Necessary materials for construction

Decided to make a brooder for chickens with your own hands? Photos from the following sections will help you build a quality structure, and step-by-step instructions will not allow you to make even the slightest mistake. However, first of all, you need to acquire all the necessary materials for construction, the list of which should look like this:

• metal mesh;
• wooden board;
• door canopies;
• plywood sheet.

It's best to get everything you need at the building base, especially if you decide to make several brooders at once. Prices there are much lower than in ordinary hardware stores, and a wide range will allow you to find exactly what you need. In addition, when buying a large number of materials, customers receive a solid discount.

List of required tools

Of course, to build a good brooder with your own hands (dimensions have been mentioned in previoussections), it is necessary to use quality tools. Here is just a small list of what may be useful for material processing:

• electric or manual jigsaw - woodworking tool;
• screwdriver and self-tapping screws - ideal for fastening parts;
• sandpaper - suitable for processing plywood sheet.

This list of tools can be greatly expanded depending on the materials you decide to use in the manufacturing process. It is strongly not recommended to use alternative options when there is a shortage of tools (instead of a screwdriver - a hammer), otherwise the quality of the brooder will suffer.

We draw up drawings for work

In order for a wooden product to be of the highest quality, it must be made according to pre-drawn drawings. Many novice inventors neglect this part of the work, as a result of which they regret it later when the parts simply do not fit together. Therefore, approach the creation of drawings with great responsibility, because even a small mistake can lead to the fact that you have to redo all the work from scratch.

A competent drawing should take into account the dimensions of the future structure, as well as the methods of attaching parts. If you plan to make a wooden brooder, then it is best to use screws to connect, since nails do not give sufficient structural strength. In addition, the drawings must take into account special fasteners,which will allow you to lift the cover of the device up, as well as the ventilation system.

Make the frame

The manufacturing process begins with the assembly of the frame. To do this, it is necessary, first of all, to prepare parts according to pre-drawn drawings. The tree is sawn into the desired parts using an electric jigsaw or a circular saw. You can also use a regular hacksaw, but this trick will not work with a plywood sheet blank - keep this in mind. As soon as the wooden parts are cut off, be sure to process them with sandpaper to get rid of the burrs.

Even an inexperienced inventor can assemble a brooder frame. It is best to use a screwdriver or a drill with a special nozzle for self-tapping screws for this purpose. As for the dimensions of the self-tapping screws themselves, it is worth giving preference to fasteners, the length of which is 50 millimeters. It is recommended to allocate four self-tapping screws for each corner, since the structure will hold very uncertainly on two parts.

Plywood fixing

As soon as the frame is ready, you can start cutting the plywood sheet with a jigsaw. If you want the cut to be as even as possible, ask the household for help or secure the sheet in such a way that it does not fidget during operation. We process the edges of the resulting parts with sandpaper and nail the plywood with small carnations to the finished frame. It remains only to make a cover for the brooder and fix the net to the floor.

We hope you now understand better thatsuch a brooder. Every novice breeder should have a similar device in his household. The design of the brooder is not anything complicated, so the equipment can be easily made at home. Most importantly, do not save money on an infrared lamp, as an insufficiently powerful unit will not be able to heat a large area.