Your Poultry

If you’ve got a 1970s dresser that isn’t ever going to come back into style, here’s how to re-purpose it into a chick brooder.

How to repurpose an old dresser into a chic brooder

Abrooder houses newly-hatched chicks in a warm, contained, weatherproof and pest-proof environment. Brooders can be made from virtually anything, from plywood to a converted plastic bathtub.

Upcycling an old piece of household furniture is a creative, attractive option.

A brooder is a secure home for vulnerable chicks to grow happily and reach a size where they will be hardy enough to survive outdoors. It needs to be an insulated space, have natural air-flow and protection from the elements.

Heat is very important. There are a wide range of products to keep chicks warm, including ceramic heat lamps, heat pads, and heat plates.

Add a bed of wood chips, a feeder and water dispenser and it’s ready to go.

In this project, an old bedroom dresser was upcycled into a brooder. Some drawers were kept for handy storage, but the main drawers were removed and replaced with lockable mesh doors.

The inside of the brooder is painted in low-sheen kitchen paint (Resene Alabaster), chosen because it is easy to wipe down and clean. The light colour also makes it easier to spot a mite infestation.

Your chosen piece of furniture will differ in size and shape. This project refers to measurements specific to this example. However, the steps you need to take to convert a dresser to a brooder will be similar.

Your chosen dresser will differ in size and shape, but the steps you need to take will be similar.