Easy DIY Chick Brooder

This post was originally published on May 24, 2016.

Easy DIY Chick brooder made out of a plastic tote. Fast and easy to make, super simple to clean, and the perfect home for your little chicks!

When it comes to animal housing I have three main rules: Safe, sturdy, and easy to clean. Which is why my DIY chick brooder is pretty much the easiest thing you’ll ever make for your farm!

And, of course, it’s easy to clean. Because let’s get real here: Ain’t nobody got time to clean something that takes ten years to get apart, or is too heavy, or is awkward…you get the point. You’re much more likely to clean something if it’s easy, right?!

The reason my brooder is so easy is that it’s just a large plastic tote. Mine is about 18 inches wide, 36 long and 18 deep. But the size all depends on how many chicks you want to have. I have 5 in mine right now, I could probably raise 8 in this chick brooder.

How to Clean a Chick Brooder Box

1. Remove heat source.
2. Remove chicks and place them in a safe, contained area.
3. Remove feeder and waterer.
4. Remove dirty bedding.
5. Spray out with a mild soap and water.
6. Dry thoroughly.
7. Replace bedding, food, and water.
8. Add chicks back into the brooder.
9. Replace heat source.

What is Needed in a Chicken Brooder

• Food
• Water
• Heat source (heat lamp or heat plate)
• A bit of room to move around.
• My favorite chicken keeping supplies (affiliate link)

How to Make This Chicken Brooder Box

1. Cut the interior of the lid out.
2. Drill holes around the edges.
3. Secure wire to the top with zip ties.
4. Cut a slit in the handle to hold the heat lamp secure, if using.
5. Add 1-2 inches of bedding in the bottom.
6. Add in your waterer and food.
7. Add in your chicks!

Chicks and Cedar Shavings

I bed the brooder with straw or pine shavings. With chicks, stay away from cedar shavings for bedding. The strong aromatic oils can irritate their respiratory tracts and cause permanent damage.

Chick Waterer for a Chick Brooder

The waterer I use is a nipple drinker made for chicks. The only thing that makes it different from a nipple drinker made for hens is that it’s small.

You can also just order nipples with screw tops and attach them to water bottles. How is that for easy! If you use one, you will have to teach your chicks to drink out of it.

Teach Chicks to Drink Out of a Nipple Waterer

1. Gently hold a chick up to the waterer.
2. Tap its beack gently against the waterer until one drop of water comes out.
3. Wait for the chick to drink.
4. Repeat with 2-3 other chicks.
5. Observe to make sure at least 3 chicks are drinking out of the waterer.
6. The rest will follow and copy their flock mates.

How to Mount a Waterer in a Chicken Brooder

1. Drill holes in the tote slightly narrower than the waterer (keeps is secure).
2. Loop a zip tie through them.
3. Hooked the wire holder through the zip ties.
4. The waterer will slide in through the top.

This is waterer is working SO much better than just using a traditional on-the-ground waterer. I always had issues with spilling and soiling the water literally seconds after changing it. I just use a basic feeder, nothing special. It does get pooped in, but such is life with chicks.

Since writing this post originally, I have purchased and use a heat plate. I like the heat plate for safety, but it can hide sick chicks or they can be reluctant to leave it. Be sure to check under it regularly and make sure everyone is moving about, eating, and drinking.

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