We love working with the Brethren Mennonite Heritage Center to preserve our local history and enhance the campus for generations to come. This past summer they approached us to design a brooder house to honor the rich history of the poultry industry in our area. Chick brooders, also called broiler houses, are wood-framed structures set on sleds to allow for moving them. They are heated and are used for chicks until about six weeks old. This concept was started right here in the Shenandoah Valley 100 years ago.
Brooder houses were developed by the Wampler family in the early 1920s for growing turkeys. This replica structure that we design in collaboration with JZ Engineering will be slightly larger than a traditional brooder house for purposes of telling the history of the structure and allowing for tour groups to move through. We used photos provided by the Wampler family to get the “details” just right for the structure.
The Brooder house is in process of construction using volunteer labor. If you are interested in supporting the Brethren Mennonite Heritage Center by swinging a hammer or donating to their efforts – check out their website here!
