How to Make a Chicken Brooder From a Litter Box

When raising chickens, it is important that baby chicks have the proper environment in which to develop and grow. A chicken brooder is a necessary part of that environment, as it provides heat, shelter and protection. While commercial brooders can be expensive, homemade brooders work just as well and are easy to make. Making a chicken brooder out of a litter box is a cost efficient way to meet a baby chick's need for warmth and security, and makes an essential addition to a chick's home.

Things You'll Need

  • Dish soap and water
  • Rectangular, extra-large litter box (at least 24 inches by 18 inches)
  • Cardboard box (with a sidewall height of at least 24 inches and a base large enough to accommodate the litter box)
  • Utility knife, such as X-Acto
  • Chick-safe bedding
  • Paper towels
  • Heat lamp
  • Thermometer
  • Chick feeder, feed and supplements
  • Chick waterer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean the litter box with warm soap and water. Dish soap works well. If recycling a used litter box, clean with bleach, allow to air dry, and wash again with dish soap and water. Allow to dry.

    • 2

      Cut the bottom base out of the cardboard box with a utility knife to serve as the siding for the brooder. Slide the cardboard over the litter box and ensure it fits flush with the litter box walls. If the top of the cardboard has flaps, bend them outward or cut them off with the knife.

    • 3

      Create a safe flooring and begin adding materials to the brooder. Do not use newspaper, as it creates too slick a surface for chicks and may cause them to develop splayed legs. Put down a layer of chick-safe bedding (which you can purchase at farm or feed supply stores) and top with shredded paper towels. Cleanliness is extremely important to chick health; always replace soiled bedding with fresh bedding. You can remove the shredded paper towels after the first four or five days.

    • 4

      Set up a heat lamp over the litter box brooder. Attach the lamp to the side of the box, or suspend it above the brooder using a clamp. Before putting chicks into the brooder, turn on the lamp for a few hours. Use the thermometer to check the temperature; the concentrated area warmed by the lamp should be 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The entire brooder should not be this warm. Every chick should have access to the area warmed by the heat lamp, as well as space to move away to cool themselves. When you place the chicks into the brooder, observe their behavior. If they peep loudly and constantly, they are most likely too cold. If they always huddle together in one spot, check for drafts. If they avoid the heat lamp and go as far as the brooder allows away from it, they are too hot.

    • 5

      Place a chick waterer and chick feeder, complete with water and feed, into the brooder. There should be adequate space for various chicks to access both the food and water at the same time. For the first few days, sprinkle food on the floor of the brooder to help chicks find it. Include supplements and electrolytes in the feed to support healthy growth.