Last Updated on June 8, 2023 by Georgie Smith
If you are a poultry farmer, you will agree that the most difficult moment is making sure baby chicks and ducklings are out of the brooder healthy and strong so that they can start fending for food on their own. But despite the challenges that come with brooding, it shouldn’t be a reason to give up. Experts and experienced farmers have always offered healthy tips on this critical stage of chicken rearing.
In this review, Morninghomestead helps you find the best brooders for chicks and ducklings. It is because we understand that with so many options in the market from which to choose, it can be difficult selecting one for the money. We will also walk you through brooding prerequisites so that before your chicks are reading for the coop, you know what to do, how to do it, and the right time for it. Thus, apart from the top five brooders for sale, we recommend in this review, also learn about sizing, set-up, and how to care for chicks and ducklings while they are in the brooder.
Basic Comparison:
SSL
Storage
Domains
Sub-domains
Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder
Brinsea
Chicken, Duck
Plastic, Metal
Indoor
Chick Heating Plate
Easy to use
Easy to clean
Chicken, Duck
Indoor
Farm Innovators Model
Easy to clean
Easy to use
Easy To Set Up
Washable & Reusable
Top 5 Best Chick Brooders for Sale
Brooders come in different shapes, designs, and sizes but you’ve got to make a choice anyway. And with so many competing brands in the market, newbie poultry farmers may have to contend with a few challenges before finding the right product. Well, to save you the stress and time of testing different products before choosing the right one, here is what we recommend:
Farm Innovators Model 3700 Baby Chick Starter Home Kit
Measuring up to 36 inches in diameter and 18 inches high after assembling, Farm Innovators model 3700 is a corral brooders starter kit that can house up to 15 chicks before they are released to the coop. It has a brooding lamp that adjusts up to 34 inches from 20 inches high, thus, you can always vary temperature depending on prevailing circumstances such as weather conditions.
Farm Innovators Model 3700 brooder is, moreover, recommended because of the following:
- It is easy to set up, hence highly recommended for beginners.
- It is easy to store since it folds up into a flat shape.
- It is not only washable but also reusable.
- Farm Innovators Model 3700 weighs only 3.35 pounds hence highly portable.
- Product dimensions: 36 x 36 16 inches.
Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder for ducklings and chicks
Whether you are looking for a new or used brooder, EcoGlow from Brinsea is something we would recommend any day. And if you asked us why, it is because after testing several similar products in the market, we found out that EcoGlow isn’t just for economical use, especially among farmers who rear a small number of birds, but also has great features such as:
- It is extremely lightweight at only 1.65 pounds and measures 12.6 x8.2 x 8.3 inches.
- It is a top choice not only among poultry farmers but also loved by schools that educate students on rearing birds.
- Brinsea EcoGlow is suitable for newly hatched birds.
- It features three height adjustment settings, making it ideal for different bird sizes.
- It has a light indicator to let you know whether it is connected to a power source or not.
- Radiating heating from its underside not only ensures even heat distribution but also saves on power costs.
- Its heat lamps run on 14 Watts hence highly economical for a farmer who wants to save money on power consumption while also rearing healthy ducklings and chicks.
Premier Chick Heating Plate Kit with Cover, 12W x 12L inches, up to 20 chicks
If you want your chicks to leave the brooder strong and ready for the coop, the premier chick heating plate kit from Premier 1 Supplies is a top recommendation for the money. It isn’t just any other type of brooding apparatus you may have used but one that accommodates up to 20 chicks. Isn’t that impressive? Well, there is more. After doing our homework about the product, Morninghomestead found it a worthy recommendation to buyers because of the following reasons:
- It has a heating plate that simulates heat chicks from under the feathers of a hen hence offering great brooding comfort.
- It is ideal for up to 20 chicks, and with a wattage input of 22 every hour and 110 voltage input, you are sure to save on power costs.
- It has adjustable legs which can move from 1.5 inches to 6 inches high, hence you can always vary heating conditions depending on the number of chicks beneath the brooder.
- The bottom of the plate can heat up to 125 degrees allowing for even heat distribution for chicks and ducklings.
- It is lightweight at only 3.7 pounds.
- Premier chick heating plate kit from Premier 1 supplies measures 15 x 13 x 8 inches, a size that makes it accommodative for up to 20 chicks.
Plate Chick Heating Plat Kit with Cover, 10W x 10L inches
Our fourth brooder recommendation is from Premier 1 Suppliers, a leading manufacturer of pet care accessories.
There are many reasons why we settled on this product such as the following:
- Its height (legs) is easily adjustable up to 6 inches from 1.5 inches so that it can accommodate up to 15 brooding chicks.
- It utilizes 15 watts every hour with a voltage input of 110.
- The underside of its plate with which chicks come into contact can heat up to 125 degrees, which is still an ideal brooding temperature. As often as you will notice, chicks tend to move away from a heater when it no longer feels comfortable under the blade.
- It has a cover that prevents chicks from perching on the heating plate hence safe for use.
- Plate Chick is a top-of-the-range brooder that is also affordable and durable.
- It weighs 2.9 pounds and measures 13 x10.5x 7.1 inches in size.
SWEETER HEATER Overhead Infrared Heater for Chicks and Pets, 150-Watt, 11 x 40
Infrared overhead heater for chicks and pets by SWEET HEATER isn’t just indestructible but it also saves on energy costs, very reliable and safe. But there is more you get when you put money on this product. We did some homework and found out the following:
- It weighs only 7 pounds, which makes it all the more ideal for overhead use.
- Its size of 40 x 11 x 2 is an ideal fit for a brooding area and ensures even heat distribution.
- It comes with an overhead mount comprising hooks and a chain so that it is conveniently and securely suspended over your brooding area.
- Sweet Heater is a supreme brand made in the U.S.A., particularly in Rice Lake Wisconsin. It has been a brand of choice for thousands of chicken farmers since 1995.
- It features a thermostat for auto-shutdown to keep heat within your brooder.
- It utilizes less power while uniformly distributing heat.
Note that you can plug it into an extension cord without risking damage to your socket since it consumes less power rated at only 150 Watts.
Chicken Brooder Size
When it comes to deciding on the right sizing for a brooder, it is imperative to note that apart from the number of chicks, factors such as space, lamp, air circulation, and temperature play significance. Now, regarding what would be the ideal brooding area for chicks in the numbers of 6, 15, 50 and 100, here is what you need to know:
- A great rule of thumb is that chicks aged from 0 to 2 weeks need a space of 0.5 square feet each, those aged 4 weeks need 1 square foot square feet while at the age of 8 weeks, a space of 1.5 chicks per chick is necessary.
- It, therefore, goes that chicks need as much space as necessary when inside a brooder and based on the above rule, it means that birds that number up to 100, need up to 200 square feet and 100 square feet for 50 chicks.
How to Set Up a Chicken Brooder for Baby Chicks
For most beginners, setting up a brooder for baby chicks is often a painstaking process. You must not only make sure there is ideal temperate but also take care of other conditions such as humidity and air circulation. It is also noteworthy that during this time, chicks should have access to feeds and water.
Now, to set up the brooder here is how to go about it:
- If you are assembling it locally, get a plastic storage box (preferable to cardboard because the latter can get dumped). Plastic is also easy to clean. However, you will need to protect it from draught-typical changes in environmental conditions.
- It is important that the brooding space is voluminous, and while supplying with a heat source, spare a section where chicks/ducklings can exercise, eat and drink.
- Make sure to protect the baby chicks from predators by covering the brooder with a wire mesh.
- In case you are hatching a large number of birds, it is advisable that you go for adjustable brooding enclosures which you can expand to accommodate them as they grow.
- Now, when it comes to choosing a place where to station the brooder, take note that chicks/ducklings can be messy. Thus, apart from it being a quiet room, there should be an adequate supply of light and other necessary conditions for the healthy growth of birds. But if you decide to situate it outdoors, make sure your brooder is secured from predators such as rats and that there is enough warmth for the chicks.
- When it comes to installing heat lamps, which is arguably the most expensive understanding in this venture, go for those with electric panels. They distribute heat evenly. In the case of traditional lamps, secure them tightly above the brooder with a chain and make sure they don’t pose a fire hazard. Take note there are advantages and disadvantages that come with choosing either panel or traditional brooder heaters.
How Long To Keep Chicks in Brooder
If it is your first time hatching birds, you may want to ask this question: when is the right time to move them from the brooder? Or, how long should they stay in the brooder? Well, many people ask this question but looked at it from a critical standpoint of an experienced poultry farmer; many things are always at play.
First, seasons play significance. Take for example during summer when the heat rises to unimaginable levels. You wouldn’t want to keep chicks in the brooder for many weeks, especially if nature supplies enough. However, during winter, supplemental heat for chicks and ducklings is necessary.
Moreover, while six weeks during which chicks and ducklings will have feathered is the typical duration after which you move them into a coop, experience poultry farmers have a different opinion. They say that to know when birds should no longer be in the brooder, it is important that you observe them closely, especially their comfort levels around mother hens. When they begin to spend more time on their own and rarely go underneath their mother for warmth, it is always that time you took them out of the brooder.
What Brooder Temperature Do Chicks Need?
For the first two weeks, chicks need a temperature in the range of 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In the subsequent weeks starting from the third, it is advisable to reduce heat by 5 degrees every week. The following chart should guide you on how to go about it:
| Week | Temperature (Degrees Fahrenheit) |
|---|
| 1 | 95-10 degrees Chicks should not stay outside the brooder even for a few minutes. |
| 2 | Keep heat at 75 degrees. This is room temperature and you are free to turn off the heat lamp. |
| 3 | Lower to 85 degrees. Let chicks go outside, but only if the weather is favorable. |
| 4 | At six weeks old, chicks and ducklings are ready to coop with mother hens/ducks. |
| 5 | Week five, reduce temperature to 70 degrees. Baby chicks can spend time outside unless it is raining or cold. |
| 6 | At six weeks old, chicks and ducklings are ready to coop with mother hens/duck. |
Conclusion
In the hope that this review has helped find the best brooder for ducklings and chicks, we will be glad to hear from you. Please share your feedback, questions, views, or suggestions in the comment section below. Also, feel free to share this review with your friends across social media to help them find the best brooders for the money.
