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2 Posts on Brooders -- First What Not to Do....

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Guest:
Perhaps I can use the top of my RubberMaid bin to cover the top. :p Just kidding!

That 100W bulb is powerful. I should take a test with the thermometer at the other end of the box and see what the temp is. I finally got 95F or something close to it right under the lamp at the deck....I do want a section of brooder where it\'s a little cooler. The bottom of the bulb is about 3 inches higher than the top of the box to achieve this temperature. I have the fixture straddling a stack of 2 2 x 4s.

I\'m going to cover the whole thing in poultry netting, but if I have to cover about half of the box, I have some pieces of board in the shed I can throw on top.

If I do the vents -- how big should they be -- in what shape and whereabouts on the box should they be?

Thanks.

--Ron

John:

--- Quote ---If I do the vents
--- End quote ---

You could drill a bunch of small diameter holes (maybe around 3/16th dia.) about an inch above the floor and an inch apart on one or both ends of the box.
When I built small box brooders several years ago I put the vents in the bottom on the opposite end as the vents in the top to get the best air flow or circulation to the entire area.

Guest:
John,

Thank you. I think for this round, I\'m going to leave it alone. Hatching time is too close now. I was working 3 - 11 yesterday and 7 - 3 today, so that took care of messing with the brooder any further.

The room the brooder is in is cool, because I closed the registers in there (save on gas).

I\'ve got to get ready to welcome the birds to the world -- and give them their Mareck\'s vaccination (yep. I\' got the vaccine [Thanks Laura for the info] and I\'m going to play avian vet today or tomorrow).

Right now, I\'m on hatching vigil. I\'m six hours away from Day 21, so hatching can start any time now....anything from 0 - 30 birds.

I\'m just glad that \'bator has picture windows....

--Ron

Guest:
Is this the only batch of chicks you are going to hatch this season? I personally don\'t vaccenate for mareks OEGB seem to have a natural resistance to it, but I have helped friends that do since the vaccine comes in 1000 doses they wait till they are done hatching for the year then do all the chicks at once. I don\'t know if it still consists of a pill that is dissolved in saline but you can break the pill down into 1/4\'s and have enough to vaccinate 4 times. Chris

Guest:
I read somewhere that vaccinating for Marek\'s was only good on day-old chicks.  Waiting till the chicks were older or vaccinating adolescent or adult stock was a waste because it did no good.

Is this true?

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