Help with New Brooders

[AA Plantation]

I have had good success through trial and error and alot of help with the advice from the members here.
Here is the new problem. Since chicks are hard to get this year close to me. I have to pick up new chicks this weekend and all my brooing boxes are full with 3 week old birds. I have to design and build something this week to accomodate the new chicks for atleast 2 weeks.
I am getting 2500 chicks on Friday.
My options are
1. to put them inside a horse trailer 12' x 7'
2. build a battery type brooder
3. build 2 or 3 4'x8' brooders to fit in the storage building
I don't like the discussion that i am faced with as the chicks consume alot of my time. I do want to have what is best for them.
However, if i don't take the chicks; i will never be able to get any more from them.
Time is a problem and i am the only one that can build the brooders. So completing this project in a few days is most important.
Need Advice.
 

[aKirA]

Well if it were me...I'd prolly just build a make shift pen. Quality depending on the time you have. Then I'd just move the 3 week old birds into it. If weather is warm still, they'll be fine. May want to run some heat lamps just incase.

Then you'll have your brooders available for the new chicks.

[CharlieHorse]

I'd go for the cheap and easy...............horse trailer is a great idea!  Cover one of the doors with a sheet of plywood and make a smaller door in the plywood to gain access to feed etc. without having to open the big doors and take a chance of escapees.

[AA Plantation]

Here is the horse trailer, It has large ventilation on each side with doors that can be opened or closed also the windows have bug screen.
How about taking a piece of plywood and and cutting it about 24" for a method to keep them from escape while opening up the door to feed and water.

[aKirA]

Yep trailor looks good.

Yes you could use wood/wire as mentioned to help keep the chicks from running out. Those suckers can fly very well at a young age.

[CharlieHorse]

:eek:

Yeh, now that's my kind of horse trailer!   

[AA Plantation]

It is a good trailer to work out of.
You can put 5 horses in the back normally just 4
The middle part has 12 built in kennels with a door on one side and a ramp on the other. you can load the dogs and then load the 4-wheeler up the ramp.
The front has living courters but i use it for a tack room.
I used too travel all over the country running field trials. (Too much headache)
Now it sits during the summer until i start using it for dog training in the fall and  hunting in the winter

[wildergamebirds]

Or you can put them in my house, and I'll live in the trailer for 4 weeks!

  Well, it's almost that nice.  You will, of course, power wash the inside, and disinfect it first thing in the morning, and fill it with running box fans, to dry it.  I figure you have already done this, but thought I would mention it for anyone who might decide to copy you.

  I would install some red lights, or other heat source, just in case temps drop below 70 (sure seems unlikely today, but....).

  Going through with a purchase, or sale sometimes can be painful, but I've also had to improvise after getting myself into a time bind.  I'm going to have to buy 3-6 week old birds, somewhere, several times in the next couple of months, due to poor planning, but, much like you, need to keep the customers, hoping for profits next year, or maybe this fall.

  Good luck.

[AA Plantation]

Washed and Bleached and hopefully ready.
Brooder lights will be installed the day of.
Nothing Like the last Minute to get it done

[Reeves]

I was just this day looking at a "horse" trailer (not to buy).
80k Canadian. 4 horse with living quarters. One slide out.
Would work well for a family with quads out on week-ends as well.
Funny thing is, these type trailers are better built than the "motor homes" built for quads etc ! And cost less ! (the above one is a fancy one, also looked at one much the same for 50k...no, not buying....just at the trailer place where I bought my 18' "car hauler" to talk to the fella)

[CharlieHorse]

Yeah, well, you know those horse people...........they got the cash!!  Otherwise they wouldn't have the horses!      Horses need a lot of cash!   

[wildergamebirds]

Nothing Like the last Minute to get it done

  You say that like there's another way!

[labmancan]

Is there?

[AA Plantation]

The best thing about a last minute plan is a alternate plan or plan B
So at the last minute i thought this might work. If so what could be easier or more sanitary for 2 weeks.

[CharlieHorse]

:eek:   The pictures of the creatures on the pools may give those birds some sort of anxiety complex?  Nice setup, but do those lights keep the temp high enough at that distance?