# how important it is to have an emergency brooder ready



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

ok as almost everyone knows i feel and believe that as breeders we should be prepared for the unexpected like with miracle and squirt when my uncle called me all freaked out i rushed over looked in the breeding box and what i saw was not good all three had holes in there crops miracle had a enlarged crop to the point that most of us did not expect him/her to make it to morning well i took it to prayer and he is still alive and never leaving my home unfortunately the youngest had 2 holes in the crop and 1 around the lung area and it died so here is my sugestion that as breeders we should have the brooder material on hand and ready to set up but for those who are not breeders and are thinking of breeding you need to be prepared for the unexpected here is what you need a spare cage or fish tank , heating pad, towels , thermostate that reads temp and humidity 
baby syringes thermonitor hand feeding formula digital kitchen scale that reads grams 

to setup brooder set a towel on a table or surface that you will keep the cage or tank on then the heating pad then another towel on the heating pad place the cage on the towel place birds in the cage as well as the thermostate close cage attach towel to cage so it surounds the cage from all sides and top you may have to use 3 towels and you will need some clothes pins to attach towels to the cage here is a pic of the brooder after it is all set up


----------



## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

Good post - it is extremely important 


I don't "preach" about hardly anything - but this is one topic I do tend to go "over board" or so i've been told 

if any one (specially uneducated people) talk about Breeding I list ALL the stuff needed to raise the chicks on their own - Some people actually get a attitude and say " you don't need all that stuff just because your going to breed" - Well actually you do - granted you may never use it - BUT you have it in case you do, I don't know a single Pet store open at 2 am when a parent bird decides it doesn't want to be a parent and leave the babies (most of the time for dead)

You buy hand feeding formula you can store it in the freezer and it'll keep 4 years past the use by date So that comes in handy .

You can also use plastic totes as a brooder - that's what I used with my lovebird roxy, I Bought two plastic totes (like rubber maid totes), I filled the bottom one with water, and put a submersible heater in it that's for a fish tank (I made sure the thermostat on it went up to 85 degrees) and then I got a digital thermometer that read indoor and outdoor temps - I ran the cord part (that is supposed to go outside a window) in the brooder and sat the thermometer on top of the brooder the "outside" temp was the temp of the brooder - then I Used one lid and put it on top the brooder the opposite way it is supposed to go(for Air - some ppl put holes in the lid but I was planning on using it for storage when i was done so I didn't want to drill holes into the lids), then i draped a towel over top of it and that kept the heat in - but the baby was still able to breath fine.

2nd and 3rd time i hand fed babies i used a fish tank with a lid that had a screen in it (this was summer time and they were 3 weeks old) so I didn't have to control the heat like you do with a unfeathered younger baby , now i'm sure if it was winter time I would of had too though. 

So many people don't realize what is involved in breeding - they think its simple just put a male and female in a cage , add a nest box and let them go - I wish it was that easy.


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

yup thats what my uncle thought and with miracle and squirt it was a worse case even my breeder has never had to hand feed a 7 day and 5 day old chick let alone i never hand fed before so if i can do it with no hand feeding experience then anyone can i will also not sell or give the person a chick that is not weaned as it may run into problems 

i do have a sugestion that someone make up a list and directions how to make a brooder up and maybe have it as a sticky i no kaytee has an online video of handfeeding that is verry well done


----------



## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

That's a good idea, I don't have any step by step pictures  or I'd do it


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

well i have the finished product but it is easy and fast to do so latter today i can get the pics together


----------



## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

okay 

When i was done with my tote one I had Roxy in, I gave them to my kids and now they're filled with toys LOL


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

i can take the pics if someone can explaine it in detail as i,m not good with writing and spelling


----------



## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I can give it a go, if you want to send me the pictures


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

i,ll do the pics in order


----------



## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

You guys make very good points. I made sure before my eggs even hatched that I would be ready in the event that my inexperienced parents were not ready to handle the 5 eggs they laid. I haven't had to set up the brooder but I have kept a close eye on the smallest baby. Sure enough he gets overlooked at feedings he's only a few days old but I'm sure that without my intervention he would not have made it. I have not pulled him from the box as they are feeding him a little on occasion. Had I not been an experienced hand feeder I would have been at a total loss and not known how to handle this tiny thing that is smaller than an egg it's first couple of days. If you are not prepared bad things can happen. If you care, if you would be hurt be the death of a baby do your research and know your stuff. Above all take a tip from Allen "Be Prepared" Let me guess Allen...you where a Boyscout.


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

yes i was i,m just going to do the pics so i,ll send them to atvchick95


----------

