Our 4' X 4' homemade brooder box is made from 2 sheets of 3/4" OSB, 2' lengths of scrap 2X4's, a scrap piece of 2X4 welded wire fence, some scrap pieces of 1X2 lumber (lotta "scraps," huh?), and a handful of deck screws.

The bottom of the box is a full half of one of the sheets of OSB, and the sides are made from the remainder of the OSB, cut into 2' X4' pieces.
The 2' 2X4's are placed in the corners, and the sides are screwed to the 2X4's.  The sides are not secured to the bottom - the whole contraption just sits on the bottom piece, and is plenty heavy enough to stay in place.

We wrapped the 2X4 welded wire fence around a 1X4 on opposite sides of the fence, allowing us to pull it across the top of the box to make the fence semi-tight.  We drilled screws into the upper end of the 2X4 corner braces, and lock the fence in place over the screws.  And we used one more scrap 1X4 as a brace for the heat lamp across the center of the box.

Screwing the box together has allowed us to easily assemble, disassemble, and reassemble with ease for several years.  When not in use, the pieces are slid behind a tool cabinet in our storage shed, hardly taking up space at all.  Pretty handy.

The bedding consists of one full bale of compressed pine shavings.  Years ago, someone told us of the "sanitizing" nature of pine shavings, and our experience has borne that out.  In fact, we don't expect to have to change this bedding until these chicks are ready to move out.  Instead, we will occasionally stir the pine shavings thoroughly using a 4-pronged rake.  Believe it or not, even with 50 or 60 chicks in there, the smell is only faint if one is diligent to stir the pine shavings at regular intervals (weekly at this point, every couple of days as the chicks get bigger).

Again, this may be the last brooder box we ever need, as we have every expectation that we will be using it years from now (only replacing the fence on top, perhaps).

Here is the link to an accompanying video, with more detailed images --> Click This.

~ Tommy Alderman

The Biblical admonition to "raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" is not, of course, a direct command to teach my grandson how to operate a tractor & front-end loader.  Nor is it a promise that he won't forget, either.   In fact, Solomon wasn't making any sort of promise, but simply expressing a principle.  Dr. John MacArthur explains it this way:  "How many times have you seen a parent cling to that verse in desperation as they watch defiant children forsake all they were taught?  Some children sit under loving, prayerful instruction from their parents, only to later shame them with a scandalous lifestyle.  It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it?  But Solomon’s proverb is not meant to be a gilt-edged guarantee your child will eventually trust Christ and live righteously.  Solomon is simply saying early training usually secures lifelong habits. It’s a charge to give great care and consistency to how and what you teach your children.  God promises to bless us for parental faithfulness, but that doesn’t necessarily mean our children will be saved.  They have their own relationship with God to work out. (emphasis mine)" [Source, "Parental Mythbusting]  

Certainly, our primary responsibilities as parents and grandparents is to teach our young ones to love their Creator, to help them understand their need for a Savior, and to train them to be obedient servants and courageous witnesses for their Master.  When we do such, we pray that the principle spoken of by Solomon will hold true for our little ones - that the lessons will take hold, that the Spirit of God will use the implanted Seed of His Word to draw them to the cross, and that they will live their lives as active, attractive Believers - even into old age.  But the principle has value even beyond those primary, most-important considerations.

We should also be teaching our children the value of hard work, the truths associated with sowing & reaping, how a single grain produces abundance, and other such agricultural principles - all found in scripture, and all having application in life, as well as the garden.

"In all toil there is profit,but mere talk tends only to poverty."  ~Prov 14:23 (ESV)

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox."
  ~ Prov 14:4 (ESV)

"Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it."
  ~ Prov 13:11 (ESV)

"As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same."
  ~ Job 4:8 (ESV)

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."
  ~ Galatians 6:7 (ESV

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."  ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."  ~ Galatians 6:8 (ESV)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."  ~ John 12:24 (ESV)

It's never too early to begin imparting truth to children.  When they are young, they soak it up like water into a dry sponge.  Their ability to grasp hold of concepts is astonishing:  our grandson, who is not yet two years old, has been learning sign language for months.  Patti has taught him how to say "please," "more," "food," "I love you," and "on."  The last one is his favorite anytime he gets near Paw Paw's tractor, as he frantically slaps the back of his left hand with his right palm as if to say "ON, ON, ON, ON!!"  It's entirely too cute.  And there's nothing sweeter than for him to sign "I love you" without being prompted to do so...except for when he offers a kiss on the lips, just because he thinks about it.  My heart melts.

And I am amazed at what he picks up just by observation.  You should see him when he sits on my tractor: he works the steering wheel, then his little hands go from knob to knob, grabbing and wiggling every lever within his reach.  He doesn't understand what they do, but he already knows they do SOMETHING.  Well, he knows for sure what one of them does:
                          Click here--> watch him in this video clip.  ;-)

Yeah, it's too early to really teach him the meaning of the scriptures quoted above, but it's not too early to begin preparing the soil of his heart.  How can I do that?  By involving him.  By loving him with my time.

Parents, take note: when your children are little, they want to be like you.  They want to do what you do, so bring them in.  Sure, part of the reason my grandson loves PawPaw's tractor is because he is a little boy and there's just something about little boys and big ol' machines.  But I also believe that he loves PawPaw's tractor because it's PawPaw's, and he loves PawPaw.

We spent a couple of hours yesterday, just walking around...climbing on and off the tractor...sitting by the woodpile...sitting on logs...watching the dogs play.  As "work" is measured, I didn't get much done.  But my prayer is that the soil of his little heart was turned yet again, making it more and more receptive to the Good Seed headed it's way.

~ Tommy

This post shared at Homestead Abundance Blog Hop

You know, it's kind of embarrassing to admit that although we've lived here since August of 2000, this will be the FIRST time that I will be certain to have enough firewood to last through the following winter.  What?  Yep.  It's not that we've ever completely run out - we live on 116 acres...it would be impossible to run out.  But the truth is that every year including this one, I've had to scout the property for a downed tree and split 'er up in order to have something to burn.  But not this time, pal.