I like to use Chick Starter feed for both baby chicks and baby quail. They will still be able to sip the water, but they won’t get soaked and drown, because they WILL climb in, and they are NOT the smartest chip in the bag! If you have quail babies, they have special teensy-weensy quail waterers, or else, just use chick waterers and put a bunch of marbles or smooth stones in there. Make sure the water is at room temp (or even better, just slightly warm) before your chicks drink it. I like to get a couple 4×4″ tiles to put under these so they are more stable in the brooders, and also the chicks won’t kick as much shavings into them (they still will. At most farm-supply stores (and definitely on Amazon) you can find little chick feeders and waterers. ![]() could kill your chicks if they inhale any of it. While we are on this topic, do not use any sprays near your chicks or even in the same room… cleaners, aerosols, febreeze, etc. Make SURE you are NOT using cedar shavings! The oils in it are extremely toxic to all small animals. Once you have your bin modified, go ahead and put a layer of pine shavings in the bottom, about an inch thick or so. No worries about anything wet leaking out all over your kitchen or laundry room! (anyone else ever keep chicks in their kitchens? Hey, back in the early days, we did what we had to do, ok!?) It works great, and the plastic tubs are just so easy to clean and hold up so well. Then using small nuts and bolts, or your favorite fashioning device (duct tape anyone?) I attach a piece of hardware cloth or chicken wire over the opening. I use a heated up razor blade and cut out the center of the lid. (I actually have like 5…) We have cats, dogs, and kids at our place so I retrofit the lid so I can allow air and heat in, but keep the critters out. ![]() ![]() Some people are super handy and can whip one up out of wood and hardware cloth, with a cute little door and whatnot… Me? … I love a good old-fashioned plastic storage bin! The bigger, the better, because those little guys grow FAST! I usually get the biggest one I can find. A brooder is a perfect environment for baby chicks or baby quail (also called “chicks”) where they will spend their first 4-5 weeks. So your chicks are about to arrive (or maybe you are a procrastinator like me, and they have already arrived!) and you need to get a place all ready for them to live in! Excellent! Well, we call that little “place” a Brooder.
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