Chicken Brooder Basics

Chicken Brooder PlansThe chicken first surfaced in Europe as a drawing on a Corinthian pottery dated at 7th century BC. The poet Cratinus called the chicken the Persian alarm and in Aristophanes’ comedy entitled The Birds, a chicken is called a median bird. In the time of the ancient Greece, chickens were quite rare and were considered special treats. The Grecian city of Delos seems to have been a centre of chicken breeding at that time.

medium sized chicken brooderIt is believed that chickens were first domesticated in Southeast Asia. This is because the word for domestic chicken “manuk” is part of the reconstructed Proto-Austronesian language.

Chickens, together with dogs and pigs, were the domestic animals of the Lapita culture that is part of the first Neolithic culture of Oceania. They were said to have been spread as far as Easter Island by Polynesian seafarers in the 12th century AD. At that time, they were placed in extremely solid chicken coops built from stone – not like this easy to build wood chicken brooder above! :)

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Nowadays, more than 50 billion chickens are raised annually as a source of meat and eggs. They are also sometimes raised as pets although some localities don’t allow it. Proper care of the chicks has thus become an important concern. A chicken brooder is the best way to provide chicks the right care at this early stage of their lives.

It is defined as a special shelter that is warm, dry and secure from predators. This means that proper insulation and ventilation should be ensured. Chicken brooders are designed with these needs in mind. Since they will be housed here until they are four weeks old, enough space and warmth are the two most vital necessities that should be provided.

Ample space means approximately half a square foot for every chick since a cramped brooder is unhealthy for them. On the other hand, too much space would make the brooder difficult to keep warm. The chicks have to stay in the brooder until they lose their temporary feathers to be replaced by real feathers so an additional source of heat should be provided.


Chicken Brooder Plans


A simple way to determine if the chicks are comfortable in the brooder is by observing if they will roam around when awake and sleep side by side each other when asleep. If this is so then they are happy and content in their homes. The reason they are happy is because they they can keep themselves protected from the elements of the outside world.