Portage River Farm

On the evening before the chicks where scheduled to arrive, I made a brood box to serve as their new home. It is a little hard to tell the scale in the photographs. The lid is a 30" square.

The box has a fine mesh bottom to give the chicks something to stand on. The mesh also lets their droppings fall through to prevent them from getting covered in their own waste. This helps to prevent disease.

The lid at the top has a large hole to allow a heat lamp to shine through to keep the chicks warm. I stapled chicken wire across the opening just in case the dogs decide that a chick would be a good snack or playtoy.

I thought that the brood box would be big enough for all of the chicks but now I'm not so sure. My intention is for them to remain in there until at least mid-April when the weather warms up. If they grow too quickly, I may find myself making a second box!