I added a few photos of my upright brooder box to my album- Flying A Farm
It's made of trim board, pegboard, plywood & 1/4 hardware cloth. This was part of a trade I made for several upright rabbit hutches. It's great for chicks & very small bantams (like my Serama trio on the top shelf). It provides ventilation, but is east to heat.
It's in my brooder area of the shed in a corner. I've had babies in it from a week old up in temps down to below freezing in the last few months. It uses standard 24" x 24" trays that slide in and out and are deep enough to hold lots of bedding. I used wood pellet horse bedding and it's lasts quite a while. I also put the water for the babies up on a brick. The Seramas just use small drinking cups set inside a wire loop for stability. When the weather is better, I use rabbit waterers and cut holes big enough in the hardware cloth to slide the tube through. Heat lamps just hang directly against the wire with small S hooks (centered so they don't melt the plastic trays!)
If I was to make my own, I'd make individual doors for each shelf. This one only has 2 doors for 5 shelves. The Seramas like to jump out on my hands & arms when I tend to babies. They want attention NOW~LOL Also, the babies have to be taken out for cleaning, but that gives me a chance to get a good look at each one. I just pull the trays, dump them in the muck cart, refill with bedding and put the babies back in :-)
Laura Undem, Flying A Farm, Morrow, AR http://flyingafarm. com/
Rare breed & Heritage poultry, grass raised Black Angus Cattle
AMHR Miniature Horses & ASPC Classic Ponies
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