[Womble]

I need to construct a couple of brooder rings for when our chicks / ducklings hatch, but somehow £26.50 seems like a lot of money for a length of flexible plastic sheet and a couple of bulldog clips even if that does include the postage!



I thought I was onto something with plastic lawn edging roll, but I'd have to rivet two strips together to get it high enough (45cm ish).

So, are there any bright ideas out there to help a Womble on a tight budget? 

Cheers! 

[doganjo]

Cardboard box?

[Womble]

I used cardboard before for chicks, but I think ducks would make it pretty soggy, pretty quickly. I'd also like something I can wash down and re-use if at all possible.

[little blue]

plastic box?!

[doganjo]

I used a long cardboard box for my ducklings with the heat lamp over one end and a cheap whiteboard wedged into the bottom so it was easy to clean and didn't matter if they spilled their water.  No hygiene problems as it's throwaway after 4/5 weeks.  I got them out in the shed after that.  Admittedly only 4 at a time though, but you could have two going at once.

[doganjo]

I have some black plastic boxes if you want them - about a foot wide, 15 inches long, foot deep.  A hole at each end (I think there are two  ) about 3 inches up from the bottom.

[benkt]

I agree that cardboard boxes and ducklings doesn't work too well, at least for us as we usually have 10-20 at a time. I bought a pair of big plastic storage boxes cheap from a DIY store a couple of years ago. We put some chicken wire over the top with heat lamp dangling above that and newspaper and straw on the floor. Every time in gets too smelly (with ducklings that's about every twenty minutes) just make up the second box and pop the ducklings in. Chuck the paper/straw and hose down the dirty one and leave to dry, then repeat ad infinitum.

[Sylvia]

The idea of a round structure is so that the chicks/ducklings aren't smothered should they become cold and "huddle". You might use a rectangular box and put a round of cardboard in it. nothing to replace and easy to clean. Fasten it to the walls of the box with bulldog clips maybe?

[chrismahon]

Cardboard and ducks definitely don't mix. We had ours in an indoor rabbit cage with a deep plastic base. You can get plastic windbreak at abot £5 per metre, but it has holes in the material. Seem to remember seeing that sort of thin plastic in a stationery/ hobby shop. You can get quite rigid damp proof membrane, but the widest I've seen is 9".

[Sylvia]

When I said nothing to replace, I meant it costs nothing to replace

[Womble]

Thanks for the ideas folks, particularly the damp proof membrane. Screwfix have it in 30m x 18" rolls for £15, so even if it took three thicknesses clipped together for rigidity, I'm still quids in! 

Doganjo - Thanks for the offer of the boxes, but I'm using a big square electric hen, rather than a heat lamp, so it won't fit in a box. (It does fit across our bath at a push, but that's not really something I want to do again, as the droppings blocked the u-bend!  )

The other thing about the rings is I can set up a couple next to each other in the barn, and can just shovel and hose down when the bedding is soiled. Well, that's the theory at least - watch this space!!

[nettelein]

 :wave:I went to the local aquatic and garden centre, where I got 2 polystyrene boxes for £1 each (the ones they get their fish delivered in) They are great to clean and cheap! 

[HappyHippy]

If you're passing and you're interested I have a 'spare' blue plastic drum Womble 
It's only about 2 ft diameter, but it's 4 ft high - a bit of work with a handsaw or power saw and it would make 2 rings maybe ? Just pm me 
Karen 

[bloomer]

those blue drums have so many uses add that one to the list

there easy enough to cut with a decent saw as well

[Dizzycow]

I also have a blue drum, no idea where it came from, though. I keep feed in it.

What about those colourful buckets? Not very big, but moveable and washable!