IBC tote brooder DIY

Today I want to do something a little bit different. I want to tell you all about a brooder that we built and I am going to share the step by step video, but also send you to my husbands YouTube channel for the full tutorial because that's where we put it!

You see my husband has been talking about making me a new brooder for a while. I'm not really sure where he got the idea but I know he got the IBC tote from my son's work.

They have a few extras every month and we picked some up since they were getting rid of them. Lots of companies use them though and I've seen them for sale online so they're not hard to find at all!

We got a bunch of them because he wanted to make several into firewood holders and while they were almost all white there was one black one and he got the idea to to make it into a brooder for baby chicks.

I hatch chicks or keets every summer so that sounded like a great idea to me!

Make a chick brooder from an IBC tote

To make an entry or door on one side he cut part of the metal cage off and cut most of the front panel off. He created a door of sorts for it out of plastic fencing and mounted a light through the top of it and voila, I have a brooder!

As you can see I've been using it for quite a while and have had a lot of guinea keets in there over the last 2 years. I'm actually quite impressed that it's been so easy to use!

Heating a brooder: What are your options?

If I had a dollar for every time I read the words "heat lamp caused fire" I would be one rich woman indeed. The truth is that while heat lamps are common for brooding chicks they are also very dangerous! There are several options to traditional heat lamps and they are just as easy to set up and operate. 

I've tried many different types of chick heat sources over the years and I've spent time compiling the information on heat sources for your brooders to help you make an informed decision. I know we all love our little chickies and really just want them to be safe and grow up happy and healthy. Sometimes things like cost and convenience have to factor into the equation though...and that's where it gets tricky. 

In this comparison I will be looking at several brooder heat systems I have used over the years:  

• traditional heat lamp with red bulb
• traditional heat lamp with infrared ceramic heat emitter
• reptile heat lamp and bulbs
• commercial brooder heat source (aka...Brinsea ecoglow)

I will be looking at cost, convenience, upkeep, flexibility, set up and safety. So...lets get started!

Heating A Chick Brooder

10 Chicken Supplies from the Dollar Store

Chicken keeping can get expensive! There is always something else they need and buying everything from the feed store...or even the big box store can get expensive. There is no reason to spend that much money. In fact, I do everything I can to save money on chicken supplies!

I buy lots of chicken supplies at the dollar store (I prefer Dollar Tree) Many are the same exact item and others need thrown out and replaced so often that I feel like I'm just throwing money away! 

Here are 10 things I always buy at the dollar store and why. Keep in mind that even though many dollar stores are raising their prices now in 2025, it's often still cheaper to shop there for many of these items than grocery stores, Walmart, Target, Amazon etc.

I've added comparison prices and links if you want to order them online. Since many dollar stores have changed prices but many are still just one dollar, I highly suggest you take a visit to the local dollar store before ordering to compare prices.

Brooder Basics, exactly what you need to raise chicks

Its chick time again! Our incubators are full and chicks are selling like mad. We get lots of first time buyers and I have spent countless hours explaining exactly what you need to brood chicks correctly. 

Setting up a chick brooder is pretty easy and only takes a few items like food, water, heat and an escape proof container.

From heat source to feed, all of the item's you'll need can be bought at any feed store so picking up everything you need should be quite simple!

How do I set up a chick brooder?

What is a brooder: A brooder is any type of escape proof container to house chicks in until they have grown enough to be moved into their chicken coop. It will include a heat source, bedding, food and water.

Brooder box

First you need a container. A big box will do or you can use a plastic Tupperware type container, a feed tub, stock tank, aquarium, a baby pool etc. Anything the chicks can't get out of.

If you're brooding ducks you'll probably be better off going with plastic as you'll spend a whole lot more time cleaning up wet litter. 

You can get large boxes from the grocery store or save one next time you get something big in the mail or from the store.

I get crate style boxes free from the farm equipment dealer. I've also used large bird cages, or guinea pig cages...even small dog crates. 

Dog crates might need to be lined with cardboard at first until the chicks are too big to fit through the bars. See picture below.