Rubbermaid 100 Gallon Stock Tank Brooder Review
A Rubbermaid 100 gallon stock tank review for use as a chick brooder, covering draught control, cleaning, the missing lid and when chicks outgrow it.
Not sold as a brooder, and better at it than most things that are.
The verdict: A stock tank is the brooder experienced keepers end up using, because high smooth walls stop draughts and stop bedding being kicked everywhere, and it survives being scrubbed out season after season. Buy it if you plan to raise chicks more than once. Skip it if this is a one-off batch of four chicks, where a large tote costs a fraction and does the job.
Rubbermaid Commercial Products Stock Tank, 100 Gallons, Structural Foam Heavy Duty Container
~$150
A 100 gallon structural foam livestock tank with a ribbed base, body stiffeners, a protected 2 inch drain plug and a 10 year limited warranty.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Capacity | 100 gallons |
|---|---|
| Construction | RigidCell structural foam |
| Base | Structural ribbed design for load bearing |
| Rigidity | Built-in body stiffeners to prevent deformation |
| Drain | Oversized 2 inch drain plug, recessed and protected |
| Surfaces | Smooth with no sharp edges |
| Warranty | 10 year limited warranty |
| Origin | Made in the USA |
Specifications above come from Rubbermaid Commercial Products' published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- High, smooth, solid walls, which is exactly what a brooder needs: no draughts at chick height and nothing for bedding to be kicked through.
- A 2 inch drain plug, so cleaning out is a hose and a tilt rather than a lift and a carry.
- Structural foam with body stiffeners does not crack in cold weather the way thin polyethylene totes do.
- It has a second life. Once the chicks are out it becomes a summer dust bath, a water trough, a feed store or a cold frame.
- A 10 year warranty on something you will use for a few weeks a year means it will still be here in a decade.
Where it falls short
- There is no lid, and chicks start flying earlier than people expect, usually within two to three weeks. You will need to make a cover, and it has to be a cover that ventilates: a frame with hardware cloth, not a sheet of plywood.
- A lidless brooder in a garage or shed is open to cats, dogs and rats. The cover is a security item, not just an escape prevention item.
- The listing publishes capacity in gallons rather than floor dimensions, so measure the actual footprint before you decide how many chicks it holds.
- Smooth vertical walls mean chicks cannot reach a cooler corner as easily as they can in a long rectangular brooder. Keep the heat source at one end so there is a genuine temperature gradient.
- It is bulky to store for eleven months of the year, and heavy enough that moving it full of bedding is a two-person job.
What owners report
Among keepers who raise chicks regularly, the stock tank brooder is close to a consensus recommendation, and the reasons owners give are consistent. Draughts are the main one: solid high sides mean chicks are not chilled at floor level, which is where they live. Cleaning is the second, since a smooth interior and a drain make the weekly strip-out fast. Durability is the third, with owners describing tanks used for many seasons and then repurposed rather than binned.
The universal caveat is the lid. Every experienced owner mentions it, because chicks are flying out sooner than new keepers anticipate, and because a lidless brooder in a garage is an invitation to a cat or a rat. The usual solution owners describe is a simple wooden frame covered in half inch hardware cloth, which ventilates properly and cannot be pushed aside. Solid lids come up as a mistake, because they trap moisture and reduce the airflow chicks need.
How many chicks it holds, and for how long
Work from floor area rather than gallons. The planning figures we use are at least half a square foot per chick in the first week or two, rising to a full square foot or more as they feather out, which is set out in our brooder setup guide. The important part of that sentence is the increase: a brooder that looks generous on day one is crowded by week four, and crowding is what causes picking. Measure the tank's floor, divide by one square foot, and plan to move the birds out to the coop before that number is reached rather than after.
Heat, and the tote comparison
Whatever you brood in, keep the heat source at one end so chicks can choose their own temperature, and read the birds rather than the thermometer. Huddled means cold, pressed against the far wall means hot, spread out and busy means right. The week by week targets are in our brooder temperature chart, and the choice between a lamp and a plate is covered in heat lamps versus heat plates, where the fire risk argument is decisive. If you are weighing this against the cheaper option, we compare them directly in brooder tote versus stock tank.
Who it suits
- Anyone who expects to raise chicks in more than one season.
- Keepers brooding in a garage or shed where draughts at floor level are a real problem.
- People who want a brooder that hoses out and drains rather than one that has to be tipped up.
- Owners who will happily repurpose it as a dust bath or trough afterwards.
Who should skip it
- One-off brooders of a handful of chicks, where a large tote is far cheaper.
- Anyone with no storage space for a bulky tank between seasons.
- Keepers who will not build a ventilated cover, since chicks will be out of it within weeks.
- People brooding large numbers, who will outgrow even this footprint quickly.
Alternatives worth considering
LavviTech Brooder Box for Chicks, Large Pop Up Chick Brooder Starter Kit
~$28
A fabric pop-up pen with mesh doors, a removable washable base and a detachable roof, stated to hold up to 20 chicks. It folds flat for storage and solves the cover problem out of the box, at the cost of durability and the ability to hose it out.
Check price on AmazonRentACoop 12x12 inch Adjustable Heating Plate with Foldable Anti-Roost Cone
~$60
Not an alternative to the tank but the other half of the setup. A 22 watt radiant plate the chicks go under, with 25 height settings, and none of the fire risk of a 250 watt clamp lamp. Buy the brooder and the heat together.
Check price on AmazonLand Guard 19 Gauge Hardware Cloth, 1/2 inch, 48 in x 100 ft
~$80
The cover a stock tank brooder needs, and the same mesh that predator-proofs the coop the chicks graduate to. Half inch hardware cloth stapled to a simple wooden frame ventilates properly and keeps cats and rats out, which a solid lid does not.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Brooder tote vs stock tank
- Heat lamps vs heat plates
- Brooder temperature chart
- Brooder setup guide
- RentACoop heating plate review
- Nurture Right 360 incubator review
- Best brooder heat plates
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a stock tank a good chick brooder?
It is one of the best, which is why so many experienced keepers use one. Tall solid sides stop draughts at chick level and stop bedding being scratched across the floor, the smooth interior cleans easily, and the drain plug makes the weekly clean-out quick. The one thing it lacks is a lid, and you will need one sooner than you think.
How many chicks fit in a 100 gallon stock tank?
Work from floor area, not gallons, and measure the tank rather than trusting a number. Plan for at least half a square foot per chick in the first week or two, rising to a full square foot or more as they feather out. The second figure is the one that matters, because a brooder sized for day-old chicks is crowded within a month and crowding is what starts feather picking.
Do I need a lid on a brooder?
Yes, and it needs to breathe. Chicks start fluttering out within two to three weeks, and an open brooder in a garage is accessible to cats, dogs and rats. Build a simple frame covered in half inch hardware cloth. Avoid a solid lid, because it traps moisture and cuts the ventilation chicks need to stay dry and healthy.
Stock tank or a plastic tote for a brooder?
A tote is cheaper and fine for a handful of chicks for a few weeks, and it will be outgrown fast and it cracks in the cold. A stock tank costs more, lasts a decade, holds more birds, cleans faster and repurposes afterwards. If you plan to brood chicks more than once, the tank is the better buy. If this is a one-off, the tote is the sensible spend.
What goes in the bottom of a brooder?
Something absorbent and non-slip. Large flake pine shavings are the usual choice, deep enough to absorb droppings and changed often enough to stay dry. Do not use newspaper or anything smooth on its own for the first days, because a slippery floor causes splayed legs in very young chicks. Paper towels over shavings for the first few days is a common approach.
When do chicks move out of the brooder?
When they are fully feathered and the outside temperature is within reach of the coop, typically around six weeks depending on breed and climate, and sooner if they are outgrowing the space. Move them on a mild spell, make sure the coop is draught free, and be ready to give supplemental heat for a few nights if the weather turns. Introduce them to an existing flock gradually rather than all at once.
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