THE FINISHED BROODER

HELLO and welcome back to GARDEN DADDY here at the urban farm! I thought you might like to see the finished product and view my chicken brooder made from a reclaimed rabbit cage. I added casters to the bottom so I can roll it out of the sawdust material under the cage to catch the manure and then roll it outside on the warmer days to get some sun on the little girls.
AND FINALLY....FINISHED...From rabbit cage to chicken brooder:

So now on with the chicken house & run but tomorrow we are expecting rain early then clearing later in the day then clear Sunday and Monday then I can put everything in the assigned spaces and THEN this urban farm will be off and running (& running over) with baby chicks! I am so excited as I have wanted to get some chicks for many-many years and now this is coming to fruition. I once dreamed a dream with another member of my family of the both of us living close by each other and growing our gardens, raising our chickens and living out our lives in the quiet of the country life on some acreage somewhere. That did not work out but I can make this work as well. The old saying about "Home Is Where The Heart Is" is definitely true then isn't it if I can be happy and content on my lot in town on this urban farm then that is assuredly true!

I cannot remember if I have told you this very important information about brooding newly hatched chicks. One must use, in this Garden Daddy's opinion, an infrared heat lamp (RED!!!) when brooding the little things. This not only gives then the darkness for the many little naps they take often during the day off and on but it also keeps them sedate and more docile and helps almost completely STOP any cannibalism among them from becoming nervous and anxious. This is a MUST in my book of brooding information.

So on this busy day I leave you with this gardening affirmation in mind for all you chicken lovers out there: "URBAN FARMING: ONE EGG AT A TIME!"