Brooding new chicks in the coop...what problems will I face?

[aart]

Actually @azygous has a much better system and more experience with this than I do, take a look at their setup here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069595/introducing-chicks-to-adults#post_16276224

Tho I have used the 'small door chick respite' to integrate 2 different aged chick groups and it works very well.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What you plan to do is really close to what I do, even to the point that the top of my 3’x6’ brooder is my droppings board. I’ll enclose a photo. I use heat lamps but the heating pad cave is real popular with many people right now. Others use emitters or something else as a heat source. I put chicks in there when the temperatures are below freezing (have some eggs in the incubator right now) or in the heat of summer. In the winter I really wrap this well, in the heat of the summer it’s more wide open. There are lots of different way to do this.

What you are trying to achieve is to provide one spot that is warm enough, but let the rest cool down as it will. Even straight out of the incubator my chicks are really good at self-regulating temperature if given a choice. And they will play in pretty cold areas with no problems as long as they have a warm place to go to. That’s how a broody hen operates. She does not heat the entire universe, just gives them a place to warm up when they need it.

One of your issues brooding outside is that the temperature varies, sometimes a lot. It’s practically impossible to keep the entire brooder one perfect temperature, which by the way does not exist. Just like people, some chicks prefer it warmer, some cooler, but they can operate in a range of temperatures. By providing a spot warm enough in the coolest temperatures and a spot cool enough in the warmest temperatures they will take care of this.

If you are brooding when temperatures are below freezing, you need a way to keep water thawed. I just put my water in the warm zone. Others may use heated waterers or some other method. Or just wait until the danger of freezing is past.

I also have concerns about how much room you have. To me, the most important part of integration is providing them plenty of room. The chicks need to be able to get away from the adults. Until they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order (usually around the time pullets start to lay for my pullets. It’s hard to generalize for cockerels) the chicks pretty much form a sub-flock and just avoid the adults. If yours can free range they should be OK, but don’t leave them locked in that coop together in the morning after they wake up until you are confident they will be OK.

I do mine two ways. Often for my own reasons I put them in my grow-out coop at about 5 weeks and at 8 weeks open it up for them to roam with the flock. They will then put themselves to bed in that grow-out coop. But sometimes I just open the brooder door at 5 weeks and let them mingle with the flock. I have an 8’ x 12’ coop, a 12’ x 32’ main run, a 4’ x 8’ grow-out coop with run, and about 45’ x 90’ inside electric netting. Mine don’t free range but I have a lot of room. I have never lost a chick to another adult chicken doing it this way.

Cafarmgirl, have you ever seen a 10 week old chick stand up to and fight an adult? I never have, mine always run away. My pullets won’t do that until they are pretty mature, usually when they start to lay. Who can say about cockerels? I’ve had some scuffle hens at 4 months, some running from hens at 11 months. I’m not trying to criticize your choice of 10 weeks, it obviously works for you and is best for you. I’ve just never seen a 10 week old chicks stand up to adults. A lot of people quote 16 weeks. I’ve never seen a pullet stand up to a hen at 16 weeks either. I do think the less room you have the older they should be when you integrate.

Some of the things that I think help integration go smoother regardless of age difference are to house the chickens where they can see each other and get use to each other without getting to each other, give them as much room as you possibly can, give them safe havens (Azygous has a good one, but roosts high enough that the young ones can go up there out of reach of the adults or places to get out of line if sight are also helpful), provide multiple feed and water stations so they can eat and drink without challenging the adults, and don’t force them together. Let them manage how close they want to be to each other. When they mature enough they’ll merge into one flock.

A lot of times these integrations go so smoothly you wonder what all the worry and fuss was about, even when you don’t do everything “right”. But occasionally you can have disasters. Doing these things will help improve your odds of success but with living animals you don’t get guarantees, one way or the other. And we all have different experiences. What works for me might not work for someone else. We are all unique, with our own set-ups, goals, and management techniques.

Good luck!

 

[MoonShadows]

First, let me thank everyone for responding with some great information, guidance and precautions.

As mentioned earlier, the coop is 10 x 8. The poop board is 8 x 3. If I use the entire area under the poop board, that will give me 24 sq ft to work with, but cuts the size of the coop for the 10 adults down to 56 sq ft...still enough for them since they have access to their 160 sq ft run and can free range on the property once I open the run door in the morning.

The poop board is 30" off the ground...not enough space I don't think to build the brooder up off the floor under the poop board and still give the adults the 24 sq ft under the brooder...do you think?

I have an EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder which I will use as the heat source. I think it is much safer than a heat lamp in a coop, and will give them access to a heat source 24/7 so they can easily come back from exploring the rest of the brooder. This is a pic of my chicks under it the last time I brooded in the basement of my house.




Since I will be getting them the first week of May temperatures should not be a problem as the average temps are between 46 and 72 degrees in this area in May.

 

[aart]

@MoonShadows I'd use the whole height under there, just for your own access ease.
Remember that the poop board is part of your sqft, mine often hang out up there when the weather keeps them inside.

Another idea from another thread would be instead of little chick doors, leave the whole edge of the partition up a few inches from the floor,
like a creep feeder chicks can get under but big birds can't.

Would be easy to do with the vertical structure you have there.

ETA.....was really excited about this idea but just realized bedding might be a problem that the higher chick doors would not have.

 

[MoonShadows]

You're right aart about using the whole height. At 60 y/o "comfort" for me is a must. I don't bend and twist like I used to! And, I forgot that the roost and poop board count as square footage. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Blooie]

My chicks are fully integrated into the flock by 4-5 weeks....







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

I will be adding @azygous portal system this year. In the past I just wired one side of the brooder pen open so it was big enough to let the Littles and Tinys in but too small for the Bigs to follow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Something you might want to consider. Mine’s higher, but I made the bottom of the brooder using ½” hardware cloth. Until they get to be about 12 to 16 weeks old the poop falls on through. I put bins under it to make removing the pure poop for my compost really easy. Some hardware cloth has little sharp nibs in it from the galvanizing process but all those should be on the same size. Point those down so they don’t cut up their feet on them if your hardware cloth has them.

I’d be tempted to make the brooder 18” tall so the bottom is about a foot off the floor. Put trays under there to catch the poop so you can just slide them out to clean. There are some issues with this. Your adults will go under there, which should not be a problem unless they decide to start laying under there. That’s part of why my plastic goes all the way to the floor, to keep the hens from laying under there. The plastic also blocks any air from coming in under the chicks, a draft guard. Even with the trays you will at some point have to clean under there. A foot height should give you room. At least that should be pretty rare.

I’d put a piece of plywood or some sort of tray under your EcoGlow just to help trap heat and provide draft protection. To clean that, just turn it over. The stuff should fall right through.

I understand about the body not doing what it used to. A whole lot about the way I do things is for my comfort. Those chickens are small and nimble. They can take care of themselves.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Cafarmgirl, have you ever seen a 10 week old chick stand up to and fight an adult? I never have, mine always run away. My pullets won’t do that until they are pretty mature, usually when they start to lay. Who can say about cockerels? I’ve had some scuffle hens at 4 months, some running from hens at 11 months. I’m not trying to criticize your choice of 10 weeks, it obviously works for you and is best for you. I’ve just never seen a 10 week old chicks stand up to adults. A lot of people quote 16 weeks. I’ve never seen a pullet stand up to a hen at 16 weeks either. I do think the less room you have the older they should be when you integrate.

It's not so much that they stand up and fight, no I don't observe that behavior, it's more that they are just bigger and better able to get away. And better able to withstand the pecking they do get compared to a much younger, smaller bird. I should try to word things a little different sometimes, not always the best at getting my point across with the written word lol. But that's why I choose 10-12 weeks to integrate. When I had a good, mature rooster I'd integrate younger sometimes, he did a good job of keeping the older hens in line.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That’s common phrasing on here, certainly not just you. I usually just let it go but I expected an honest answer out of you. I don’t always say things exactly as I mean them either. For people tight on space I’m not sure ten weeks would be old enough.

And I certainly agree with you on a mature rooster. Roosters are not for everyone but they make life easier in certain circumstances. I think integration is one of them.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks BoomCickaPop. You say they are ready to leave the brooder in about 4 weeks. When you say make sure they don't get into the mature hens' pen because they might get hurt, do you mean before the 4 weeks...and after the 4 weeks it should be OK?

I thought I had a pic of the area I want to use. I will take a pic tomorrow and post it.

I would appreciate your further insights then.

Thanks!

I can't add much to what CC, Blooie, Aart, and BJ have stated. Your set up sounds like it would work great. Chicks will be well on their way to full integration by the time they are weaned from heat. I will never go back to a heat lamp again, unless brooding more than 30 chicks at a time! Cave brooder all the way for me. I agree with above posters regarding early integration with a chick sized door being better. When I first started raising birds, I was under the notion from the "they said" legions that chicks must be 12 weeks old, or as big as the hens before integration. Since trying it with 12 week olds, and with chicks, I'm agreed that younger is better. When they are younger, they are not perceived as a threat to the pecking order. They are shown "their place" and then, pretty much ignored. However, I will suggest that initially, you have the entire area inaccessible, using 1/2" hdw cloth for the first 2 - 3 weeks. When I had a broody with chicks last year, there was a bit of space under their door, and one of the hens grabbed a chick by the toes and tried to drag her under the door. Azygous has a wonderful set up. Blooie is the MHP pioneer. Aart is the engineer. She is a genious at looking at a situation and coming up with the best and easiest, no frills solution. And Bobbi-J can always be counted on for sound advice.