mail order coop disaster!!!!

So I knew after I started looking around here that the coop that I ordered wasn't going to be sufficient. And it's not. It arrived mangled and broken and there is no way I would keep 6 full size chickens in there permanently. So what I have now is an expensive brooder....

My husband set it up in our garage, but with the weather being so mild, I'm wondering if we can just start them in it outside? It is in the high 50's-low 70's during the day and high 30's to mid 40's at night. I have the premier 1 heat plate for heat, a nipple waterer, and I'm not sure on a feeder yet. I am going to post pics and ask all of you what you would add to this to make a brooder for 6 buff orp chicks coming on March 15th. What kind of bedding, etc...

My husband is going to start building a permanent coop this spring, so they will be in this coop for a few months. I thought it would be a good idea to start them in the coop they will be in until then. It has an attached run as well that will be sufficient until ours is built.

I would keep them inside until the are 90% feathered, and for bedding use large shavings and if you want to later on you can switch to small but not until they are older.

oh and no cedar the oils are really strong and can burn their lungs, pine is the way to go.

Ok thank you!

an what is wrong with it I thought you said it was mangled? For future reference build your own or get one that you have seen unperson prior to buying, it happened to me and now I am without a coop because my pre-fab coop lasted six mo. and then the roof failed. it just makes me mad, now they are happy in my garage but I have to let them in and out I want them to be able to go in and out as they please.

If you have the heat plate, there is no reason they can't be started outside. They'll pop under it when they need warmth. Zooming around in the cooler temps otherwise will stimulate faster feathering.

There is absolutely no reason why you can't start them outside in that setup from the get-go. Many of us do. I do that here in Northern Wyoming even with temps in the teens and twenties. That coop you ordered might not be good enough for your adults, but it sure can work as a brooder, and then double later on as a coop for sick or injured birds. Here are a couple of links that might be helpful. But I love starting mine outside, and don't have the mess or the noise. It's been better for each of my batches of chicks too. They feather faster, are strong as little oxes, and learn the natural way of day/night cycles from the start. Shipped chicks usually stay in a dog crate in the house for the first 24 hours or so until I know they are eating and drinking well, then out they go!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

chicklover 1998 said:

an what is wrong with it I thought you said it was mangled? For future reference build your own or get one that you have seen unperson prior to buying, it happened to me and now I am without a coop because my pre-fab coop lasted six mo. and then the roof failed. it just makes me mad, now they are happy in my garage but I have to let them in and out I want them to be able to go in and out as they please.

Click to expand...

Here are the pics. Hubby is VERY handy, and was able to fix I know he will build me an amazing coop...

Blooie said:

There is absolutely no reason why you can't start them outside in that setup from the get-go. Many of us do. I do that here in Northern Wyoming even with temps in the teens and twenties. That coop you ordered might not be good enough for your adults, but it sure can work as a brooder, and then double later on as a coop for sick or injured birds. Here are a couple of links that might be helpful. But I love starting mine outside, and don't have the mess or the noise. It's been better for each of my batches of chicks too. They feather faster, are strong as little oxes, and learn the natural way of day/night cycles from the start. Shipped chicks usually stay in a dog crate in the house for the first 24 hours or so until I know they are eating and drinking well, then out they go!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

Click to expand...

This coop has no window So I don't know how they would get light during the day. I think the premier 1 heat plate doesn't have a light?

No window? That would have been an issue with any chickens put in there then! Ventilation is so critical to good care! Wow, it sure did come to you with some issues, didn't it? I see the breaks and such. Good thing your husband was able to reinforce and repair it. There should be a way to cut a window in there, cover it with hardware cloth in a study frame, and fashion a cover for it so when it's really nasty out you can close it. It would need more ventilation in it anyway, so you'd need to find a way to put a vent or two in there.

The question becomes do you want to put more money into it, or just start from scratch and build a solid coop from scratch? I still maintain it could be a dandy brooder or convalescent cage, but you would have to make some ventilation modifications and make sure that it's as predator proof as possible.

I'll be following this as I'm very interested to see what solutions you come up with. We chicken folks can be pretty inventive!