Chick Brooder - 2 Layer H: 15"

We just set up our brooder and couldn't be more happy with the purchase. Our new flock of chicks are settled in nicely. I love that we can seperate the larger chicks if needed and the simplicity of cleaning and adjusting the heat accordingly. My only suggestion would be to have the light on a seperate switch so it could be turned on/off independently of the heater, but it's not a deal breaker.

We just finished a two week brood of 28 quail chicks, after two layer, 15" brooder assembly. Brood was completed in single layer with 0% mortality.

Assembly brief:
Base Cost: $599.99 as of June 2024
Time from order placement to delivery: <3 days
Total assembly time: 190 minutes

First brood brief:
Operator Experience Level: Novice
Volume/Species of First Brood: 28 quail
Levels Used: 1
Brooder Capacity: As described
Mortality Rate during First Brood: 0%

Full report:

Itemized cost ->
- 2 Layer 15" H - $599.99
- Extra Manure Tray* - $25.99
- Order Discount - ($5.00)
- Total from Hatching Time: $620.98
- Two lightbulbs: $3.00~

Total cost: $623.90
Total brooding space: 9 sqft (4.5 sqft/level)
Cost of brooding space: $69.32/sqft

Malformed parts: 2
- Doors (2). Both usable.

Hairline fracture parts: 1
- Food trough (1). Part usable.

Missing pieces: 0

Extra pieces: 5
- 1 ****, 1 molly, 2 yellow **** bar locks, 1 water nipple

Did customer service rectify all issues: Yes.

Brooder was placed in a temperature and humidity controlled area in home. 28 quail chicks made it into the brooder. Included inside brooder feeders and waterers were utilized for first week+. Feed used throughout entire brood was Kalmbach 28% (Medicated). Feed was offered via in-brooder feeder for days 1-8. Feed was offered via trough feeder for days 7-16, exclusively from day 9 onward. Perdue FlockLeader Recover Plus was offered for the first 3 days at recommended dosage in both waterers. On days 4-9, standard tap/well water was offered via in-brooder waterers. From days 8-16, integrated waterer (cups) was offered, exclusively from day 10 onward.

Black mats were utilized above blue grate flooring from days 1-3. Blue grate (no cover) utilized as direct flooring from day 4 onward.

Litter tray was emptied on day 3, day 5, day 8, and approximately daily thereafter. Extra manure tray* was absolutely essential. Trays were cleaned via hose spray (no pressure) and did not require scraping or additional pressure until days 10~ onward. Trays cleaned to satisfactory degree for re-placement without cleaning agent.

Temperature consistency was strong. Chicks appeared very comfortable, going often between relaxed and sleepy and active, typically as a whole flock. Both crowding and scattering was observed in moderate amounts, but chicks appeared free of distress and appeared content in brooder environment.

Chicks were tagged and moved to outdoor aviary on day 17. Mortality 48 hours after move to aviary was 0%. Birds presenting with no issues, appearing healthy and energetic.

Cleaning of brooder: It cleans well. I do understand the comments about needing to put side covers / blinders around the edge of the bottom of the brooder. With the brooder moving to the shed per wife, I will definitely utilize the "power-washable" construction of the brooder on future broods.

Overall freeform review:

Functionality with Interior Placement and Small Kids: We used this as an indoor brooder arrangement in a spare room in our house, and this arrangement was great. It will go to the shed on future broods, per wife's preference due to bird smell. The kids really liked being able to see and play with the birds every day. The visibility of the birds through the clear front doors, the second level of which was at eye level for a toddler / child made for an extremely engaging, compelling experience for the kids. As far as kids handling the brooder, there are no sharp parts / no sharp metal, a big plus. There appears to be minimal risk of burns from heater. Doors and other parts are useable by children with full functionality and without significant risk of injury and with minimal risk of damaging the brooder or it's components (the prongs that hold the food trough and door hinges appear to be the most likely of being broken by toddlers or absent-minded children). Speaking of safety, I like that there is no loose lamp to be knocked over, and that the entire heating element is contained within the heavy plastic, and that the light and guard prevent the heating element from being removed from the brooder save a couple deliberate steps.

Turnkey Project: Although I am perfectly capable of estimating, purchasing, and assembling materials for a brooder construction project, I was happy that this brooder was a self-contained project. It was entirely turnkey, nothing missing. The value of that is worth mention.

Overall, I'm happy with this product. I would recommend to a friend. I would buy from this company again, and likely will when we begin to grow the flock. Obviously with the cost, type of assembly, aesthetic, etc., this is not the brooder for everybody or every situation. However, it worked well for us, and I anticipate it working well into the future based on first use. I hope this review helps you to make an informed purchasing decision about whether thi...

We purchased these brooders almost a month ago and I can not tell you how much we love them! My husband calls them the bougie brooders 😂
No more waking up and having to fill waterers and feeders, before you've ever had a cup of coffee...everything is already done for you!
Best of all, we haven't had 1 loss, since having these brooders, and the chicks LOVE IT in there!
We love them so much, that we purchased a quail brooder, for newly hatched chicks, as well!
You won't be disappointed!!

Nicely put together. Not much trouble to assemble! New chicks being deliverer this week . Can’t wait to see how they do in it.

The product itself is better quality than I would have expected (not cheap/brittle plastic which I was concerned about). It is very easy to clean and the chicks all seem comfortable and happy. I only have bantam breeds and would not go any smaller than this size wise, I currently hatch 30-50 at a time and split between the 2 levels where they stay for 3-4 wks depending. Packaging of the item for shipping is where I ran into problems with warped brooder side pieces (I had to flatten these prior to assembling as pieces would not go together on the first try), cracked manure tray and some stress marks on the warped pieces. These pieces were offered for replacement by customer service, so not a huge deal as I could use the damaged pieces until new ones arrive. As other reviews mention, assembly is a pain and the autowater is finicky and leaks (I've tried everything suggested to fix it). The heaters are very consistent and once I dialed in the temperature needed for the ambient air in the room, they have operated flawlessly; I highly recommend having thermometers in each brooder to track. The only inconvenience is no switch to turn the light off that is separate from the heating element itself. The only other qualm I'd say is to allow for "extensions" to the height of the rack the brooders sit on so that you do not have to bend down on the floor to deal with the lowest brooder level. No brooder is perfect, but these are quite close; especially if the minor issues can be resolved on future models of equipment. The outside food troughs waste way less feed, the vertical nature is perfect for small spaces and the chicks seem more happy, quiet and active as compared to previous brooders. Next order will be the grow-out pens. Pictures for chick size reference are at 1-3 days old: silkies, bantam barnevelder, d'Uccle and d'Anver.

Great brooder but the water cups need work. They have over flowed three times. Creating a huge mess. But the heaters seem to work well and the chicks have survived

We posted a YT video on the brooder and we are excited to use it. It went together very well. We have been keeping chickens since 1992 and this is the first time we purchased a larger brooder. Thank you https://youtu.be/FlJDem2aAOw

My hubby n I care for 8 kids in a therapeutic foster home. This purchase was the culmination of the kids rather successful Poultry and egg raising summer project. They helped search options for brooders, compare prices and apparent quality of products and after a couple weeks chose this one. We ordered it and it shipped quickly arriving at our door.

Despite the heavy duty shipping box Hatching time provided, it appeared that someone or something heavy may have sat on the box during shipping as there were some damaged doors, flooring and one of the heaters. I contacted the company and HatchIngTime was extremely responsive and had the replacement parts sent off the following morning after confirming that there were no other issues.

No fuss no muss and it was fast!

Kids n I swapped the damaged parts in our second brooder w very little effort. The instructions are easy to follow, our youngest kiddo (6) lined up the arrows with no trouble and w just a bit of gentle flexing the plastic walls locked into place. It seems to be an excellent example of engineering. We have our older chicks in the lower level and out brand new silky babies in the top. The brooder is easily modified for several sized birds. Protects them from cats, kids and general chicken mischief. If you've owned chickens you know how good they are at getting themselves in trouble. :kissing_heart:

It's really been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far, I expect we will be looking into another few levels like these next spring. If you are looking for a really good brooder, you found it.

2 Layer H:15 from Hatching Time because the product videos and advertising led me to believe it was a self-regulating, thermostat-controlled brooder that would provide a stable environment for chicks without constant adjustments.
That was not my experience.
After placing my peafowl chicks and Ayam Cemani chicks in the brooder, several became sick and lethargic, and I lost a couple of chicks. I carefully monitored the temperature, tried adjusting my setup, and even attempted to use the brooder again, but the same problems continued. A product marketed as self-regulating should not require constant supervision, especially for people who work and cannot monitor it every minute of the day.
I contacted Hatching Time before I had even accumulated 30 days of actual use because the brooder was not meeting my needs. Rather than allowing a return, I received this response:
"Unfortunately, we are unable to accept returns on products that have had eggs or live birds in contact with them due to the risk of cross-contamination."
Instead, I was asked to provide photos of my setup, heater lights, thermometer readings, and other troubleshooting information while I was already dealing with sick birds. Although I appreciate troubleshooting, I was disappointed that returning the product was not an option despite contacting them promptly after discovering the issues.
I spent hundreds of dollars expecting a premium brooder that would provide stable, thermostat-controlled heat as advertised. Instead, I found myself constantly monitoring temperatures, dealing with sick chicks, and ultimately being denied a return despite contacting the company soon after discovering the problems. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this product or the company's customer service.

I recently purchased a quail cage from Hatching Time and couldn't be happier with the experience. Their products are well-designed, high-quality, and arrived exactly as described.

Shipping was incredibly fast—I placed my order and within just a few days it was at my door. The entire process was smooth from start to finish.

What impressed me most was their customer service. They were professional, responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful when answering my questions. It's refreshing to work with a company that truly stands behind its products and values its customers.

If you're looking for poultry or quail equipment, I highly recommend Hatching Time. Great products, fast shipping, and outstanding customer support.

good product and easy to use for my needs

I just want to say how amazing this product is. It is easy to build, and the tutorial make is 10x easier! The building process for this was so simple that my 13 year old son was able to do it in a few hours. This is the perfect thing to get if you are recently starting to deal with chicks. I would recommend this to anyone that is starting to get into chick brooding.

Overall, this brooder has served us and our 50 chicks extremely well and we are very happy with our purchase. The space heaters have kept our chicks comfortable and the thermostat takes all of the guesswork out of making sure they're at the right temperature. Keeping the brooder clean is an absolute breeze, particularly once the chicks are old enough to remove the floor mats and all you have to worry about is changing out the manure tray. That being said, there can be a little bit of overspill on the edges of the tray - as other reviewers have mentioned, it should be just an inch or two longer on each side.

My biggest complaint, and the reason for the four star review, has to do with the watering system. After reading a few different reviews mentioning that the watering cups leaked and flooded their brooder, I made absolute sure to check that the cups were installed correctly, but lo and behold, my top brooder layer ended up flooded the day after we started using the auto-waterer and left me with a huge mess to clean. I've seen a couple of fixes mentioned in the comments, but after reading so many reviews complaining about the same issue (which seems to repeat itself even after the fixes are applied), I think that there is a serious defect with the system that the Hatching Time team needs to address.

All in all, I would recommend this brooder, but I would stay away from the watering system and stick to conventional waterers until Hatching Time can come up with some kind of permanent solution to the leaking problem.

This is almost perfect. Heating element is great the doors with the adjustable window are great. The watering system is a bit of a pain. Other than the water cups this product has been perfect.

Easy to clean

After watching assembly videos, we were able to assemble the brooder in a couple of hours. It was much easier with two of us doing it. I highly recommend this brooder. It is easy to assemble, easy to clean, and the chicks love it. I bought the double stack and am already considering adding another couple of layers.