Duckling brooder: drawings and dimensions of the box, how to make it yourself

A brooder is a specially designed and equipped device that is used to keep young birds - chickens, ducklings, goslings - and to heat them. The device can replace the mother hen, as it has all the conditions for their growth and development. Consider the requirements for a duck brooder and how to make your own for home use.

Product types

The simplest fixture is made from cardboard sheets or boxes. It is light and comfortable material, but fragile and short-lived.

The cardboard is soaked from water that gets on it, ducks will spill it, as they love to swim. However, a brooder is needed only in the first month of the young's life, then it is transferred to a room with the rest of the bird. The cardboard will withstand a month of operation, but it can not be used in the future. Another disadvantage of the cardboard device is that it cannot be washed and disinfected.

If you need a more durable brooder, for several seasons, it must be made from thick plywood or thin boards. Other materials can be used in such a device - glass, metal mesh, which can be washed and disinfected.

Requirements for a brooder

It should be big enough for all the ducklings to fit in and feel comfortable. It should have a place for a feeder and drinker, and they should be placed so that the young can freely approach food and water.For 1 sq. m. area should account for no more than 20 ducklings.

The device must have a source of heat and lighting. Usually this is a red lamp, which is hung from above the chicks at a certain distance.

There are also requirements for the floor of the fixture - it needs to be cleaned frequently, so it must be made of moisture resistant material.

If it is not removable, then you need to find a material that can close it. It can be film, pieces of newspaper, paper or shavings.

An example of a homemade brooder is shown in the video:

Sawdust should not be used, as ducklings can peck at them. It is much more convenient to use removable trays, which are much more convenient to clean. This design makes it possible to build a brooder in several tiers, in which a large number of young animals can be placed.

If a device that is closed on all sides is used, then it must be provided for the arrangement of a ventilation system so that fumes-laden air is removed from the brooder.

Drawings and dimensions

The dimensions of the structure depend on the number of ducklings grown in it. For 40 chicks, you can make a brooder with dimensions of 1 m by 0.6 m and a height of 0.5 m.

If there are more ducklings, you need to make several of these brooders.

As for the design features, you can find options for devices of various shapes - rectangular, polygonal, square.

One of the options is shown in the video:

The form does not affect the functionality in any way, you need to pay attention only to the dimensions.

The finished device might look like this:

Required tools and materials

To make a house for ducklings you will need:

• thin boards (up to 25 mm) or plywood sheets;
• metal corners;
• mesh with cells 2 by 1.2 cm (for ducklings this is the most optimal cell size, on such a floor their legs are stable and do not fall through);
• wood slats;
• door hinges;
• self-tapping screws;
• red lamp (60-250 W), holder for it;
• cable and plug;
• plastic vacuum drinker and trough feeder.

Which tools to prepare:

• jigsaw and small saw;
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• hammer;
• cutters and pliers;
• tape measure and marker.

It is not difficult to assemble a brooder, no special knowledge and skills are needed for this.

How to make a do-it-yourself brooder for ducklings

Sequence of work:

1. Saw the beam into 4 parts of 0.5 m each.
2. Cut out 2 side pieces from plywood - the back and top of the box.
3. From timber to make guides for the tray and parts from which the doors will be assembled.
4. Attach the rails to the back and side walls.
5. Install stiffeners on the side walls.
6. Connect all parts with self-tapping screws.
7. Attach the walls, floor and top to the frame. Leave a gap for the pull-out tray.
8. Reinforce the mesh floor with self-tapping screws.
9. Hang the doors on the front with hinges.

Install a lamp, thermostat, thermometer in the finished brooder. Place a feeder and drinker on the floor.

Optional with mesh cover:

Or like this:

Wall Mount Device:

Arrangement of a brooder

On the floor, if it is not mesh, you need to lay a film and pour a thin layer of shavings, put paper or pieces of wallpaper. Good results are shown by rough paper, which dries quickly under the lamp, does not get wet, ducks' feet do not slip on it. You need to change the bedding every day, ducklings not only stain it with their feces, but also spill water when trying to bathe.

The lamp is placed at such a distance that the temperature inside is 32-35 ˚С. Then it is gradually reduced by 2 ˚С every week. It is easy to determine a comfortable temperature for ducklings: if they are cold, they sit under the lamp, if it is hot, they concentrate under the walls.

Feeders and drinkers should be of such a size and capacity that ducklings can freely approach the feed and eat it comfortably.

As for the area of the brooder, you need to ensure that all the chicks have enough space. If they feel discomfort from cramped living conditions, they need to be transplanted to another place.

It is not necessary to buy a commercial-made brooder for ducklings, you can make it yourself. This will require the simplest materials and basic knowledge of carpentry. In a brooder, ducklings are grown for a month, then they are transferred to cage keeping or to a duck house for an adult bird.

After each brood, the finished brooder is cleaned and its parts are disinfected, dried and stored until the next use. Built according to the rules, it will last for several years.

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