If you can keep the chicks in an out building, I would do it. Chicks are very dusty and produce unpleasant smells.
I have 9 4' by 8' by 2' high, plywood pens I use as brooders/grow out in 2 barns. A 2 piece hinged, wire lid covers the top. In cold weather, I use a 250 watt, red heat bulb in a hood lamp on one side and a 150 watt white bulb, in a hood lamp on the other. I keep the water as far from the bulbs as possible. The bulbs will shatter if they get wet. I cover the wire tops with old blankets and sheets to hold in heat, if needed. If you cover your brooders, the material needs to be porous or you need to leave large gaps for good airflow. If you don't, excess humidity will build up and the chicks down will become wet, matted and useless. To start, for chicks you want a hot point of 95F to 100F with enough space to get down to 85F.
A little to hot will kill chicks very quickly. A little to cold will kill chicks slowly.
For smaller batches I use plastic totes from around 30 to 150 gallons. Most of those get 1 bulb from 100 watt to 150 watt, in a hood lamp, depending on what's needed.
To avoid fire, make sure the supports for the lamp and lamp itself are firmly wired in place. Keep flammable materials, like pine shavings, hay or ground corn cob, far enough from the bulbs.
Until you are familiar with your set up and how to adjust to maintain temperatures, frequently check the temperature at several points in your brooders, with good thermometers.
Never overcrowd your brooders. Never let the chicks run out of water. Paper towels work best for the brooder floor for the first two weeks. They provide good footing. Precocial birds are programmed to eat anything of edible size they can peck at. Pine shavings and corn cob can take up space in chicks digestive systems, keeping them from eating enough. Quail chicks, being smaller, can become impacted if they eat bedding.
I usually have 20 to 30 some brooders going at any one time and as high as 60 some. My electric bill is terrible, 400 some dollars this month.
Keith
