New brooder (WIP)

Wasn't sure if this was Raising Baby Chicks or this thread and almost posted in the other but then I figured they're turning 3 weeks old tomorrow and this is more construction so this is better. Right? If not, move it.

Anyway, they are still in the original tiny kiddie pool, which, you can imagine, is now WAY too small and cruel. Especially now that they're flying. I've been meaning to move them out since two weeks but very quickly got sick of tying the hardware cloth to the welded wire every few inches around the whole entire kiddie pool, which was cramped with all the stuff in the garage. Very annoying. Not fair but I gave up. I have instead been adding shavings daily trying to keep it clean but it's hard and even so, even at pristine clean, it's just not big enough and I'm sure it's stressful. However, there also wasn't room for more than the bigger kiddie pool out here (they're in the bathroom still) because the garage wasn't cleared.

Well. My mom decided she wanted them closer to the house anyway so has been clearing a spot and finally finished today. She still wants to use the pool but... Well... With the.empty space I thought of a much much better idea.....

A narrow run down the whole segment! So! Voila!

Newly cleared area.





Putting plastic down (my mom bought contracter bags, 3 or 4 mil plastic I think, a week or two ago along with other supplies.). It uses a couple more bags (pool area would use 4 below blanket, 4 on top so 8 total. This should use 12) but totally worth it for the extra space.



Complete with the stereo for dem jamz





I think they will LOVE it. Can't wait to see them fly from end to end.

This is much easier so should be done today or tomorrow.

Sun's going down already.

Oh and I'll use either the welded wire or the dog kennel for the fence

I look forward to seeing your 'Long Run' and I keep a radio going all the time as well. I have Rock Chicks and they groove to classic rock… but sometimes we be jamming as well! Love folks whom love their birds, and tunes to go with them.

RJ

RJSorensen said:

I look forward to seeing your 'Long Run' and I keep a radio going all the time as well. I have Rock Chicks and they groove to classic rock… but sometimes we be jamming as well! Love folks whom love their birds, and tunes to go with them.

RJ

Click to expand...

Thank you!! I did figure out the perfect configuration with the wire, it was oval but still large enough, and I have pictures of it I think, but then when I started putting the hardware cloth on I quickly realized it wasn't going to hold it's shape since the HC wanted to rol back up so have been working on something else today but that got squashed because my brother has the drill so now I've been working on a hopefully temporary thing that's not much bigger. :/ I've tried A LOT of ideas the past week.. XD hahah hopefully though we will be able to buy a coop soon or I'll have the drill back and can expand it a bit. Anyway, music seems to make the work go faster. I haven't listened to any classic rock in a while though, though I do like itm and that other one too. my brothers are actually obsessed with reggae lol it's all we listen to on the boat... XD good sometimes but gets old after all summer every summer. I have a whole bag of CDs to rotate but only been listening to one mix for two days ha but yeah, I definitely love them don't spend nearly enough time with them though. Gotta fix that. Hopefully will start giving them outdoor time too. Never listened to music with them though, maybe I'll start.

Why don't you just build you a brooder? Do you have any 2x4s laying around? Frame you up a long rectangle box, say 2'x8' or 4'x8', and put the hardware cloth on it with screws/washers. You can set it on the plastic, so no bottom needed. Don't make it too high. You still need to be able to reach down into the brooder to get the chicks, change food/water. Frame up a lid and put some hinges on it and you will have them i something the mice can't get into, yet they can stretch their legs.

That's what I wanted to do but then my brother took the drill last night. We have tons of screws and washers and all that and recently bought hardware cloth so I figured it wouldn't take long. No good lying around though. Lots of scraps or whatever and a buncj of long pieces but none of it's framing. We did have one 2x4 though that I pulled down and I think it was 10 feet and we found 2 4x4 pieces of plywood and I was going to make two walls plywood and then the HC but maybe will buy more wood and make it entirely HC. I cut the piece though down to 5 feet because I was going to use the two pieces of plywood for two walls and have it be like 4x5 or something. Probably should have just left it. I wanted it longer but didn't have another. Maybe I could order some wood or something though. Or we might buy a coop. Ended up using the two pieces of plywood and two things of cardboard from a guitar box for now but it's pretty small, I think the boxes might be 3 or 4 feet, i have them on their long side and I only measured the other side so not sure. Plus I forgot to calculate the sunlight thing, which is now.lacking. but it will be okay I think. My dad's coming home tomorrow so they have to be out so will be moving out tomorrow but I hope to build or buy something bigger. May also start giving them outdoor time

Chickens moved out this morning! Will post pictures later. Gotta get 3 week pics but will tomorrow. I am thinking one or two is a roo. Bright shoulders.

I also raised MHP and the food and water. Rear of MHP is on one brick each corner, front is up on two bricks, so 6 total, and insulated back with hay and put another towel on top of the other so they can't eat it and.to make more of a cave. Also turned it up to 4 because it's colder out there (was 3) but may turn it back down since they are older. Need to maybe lift lip too, i think it hangs down too far and idk if they can get under. The waterer is now 3 bricks high instead of 2 and food is 2 high instead of 1. Water was a bit of a stretch and some flew up and others look confused so I added 2 brick halves to step up on 2 sides but they probably really don't even need it. Checked and all seemed happy. Later I will add a little fenced addition since it's still not a ton of space. But the square design instead of round allows me to put the food and water on one end so there is actual floor space now. Still need the addition though I feel since it's just a smallish temp thing (4x4 I think but maybe 4x3). Also going to try giving them outside time maybe starting tomorrow. It's getting a little cold now but they turned 3 weeks yesterday so I think they're old enough. I would sit with them too to make sure nothing got them an they didn't get out. I might put them in a pen. But dumb question: do they need their food and water outside? MHP? I assume probably water? But what about their actual food or MHP? I'm hoping they will forage, they've already been showing interest, and are they big enough to be without MHP a few hours or less?

How long are they going to be outside? If only for an hour or so, then no, I wouldn't take their water out with them.

You were asking about possible roos on the mother heating pad thread. Post some pics so we can see what they look like now.

henless said:

How long are they going to be outside? If only for an hour or so, then no, I wouldn't take their water out with them. 

You were asking about possible roos on the mother heating pad thread. Post some pics so we can see what they look like now.

Click to expand...

I was thinking maybe an hour or two but possibly less, it depends on if they like it or I'm too scared for them ha

I will definitely post some pics. I just made a thread and there's a couple pictures but they're mostly blurry or a bad angle but I will take better ones and/or post them here.