Chicken hospital wing (pun!) in coop?

[pepchickens]

Do any of you keep a space for healing chickens in your coop or run? I have been keeping them inside, but I am getting super sick of it. I use one of those rugged plastic dog crates, and I feel confident that it’s bullying-proof, but I don’t know whether it’s predator proof.

If keeping them outside the house, I have two questions:

1) Will the view of their usual space and flock make them frustrated?

2) Coop space being a bit limited, is it a bad idea to keep the crate in the run? Assuming I can keep it dry, is the dog crate setup too exposed to the elements and/or predators?

 

[RojoMarz]

I have the space under the poop board fenced off. It can be used as an isolation space or a brooder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Best to keep sick/isolated birds out with the flock to reduce issues reintegrating them back in with the flock.

1) No.
2) Nothing wrong with keeping an isolation unit in the run as long as you feel it's predator and climate protected enough. I use everything from my chick brooder to a dog exercise pen to a dog crate in the run for broody breaking and isolation. My run isn't predator proof but I feel it's predator proof enough for a bird to be kept that way temporary.

 

[pepchickens]

I have the space under the poop board fenced off. It can be used as an isolation space or a brooder.

…are we supposed to be using poop boards? Also what’s that??

 

[Evadig]

Poop boards are just boards that you place under a roost to catch the poop. It helps keep the coop cleaner.

I have a hospital in my coop made of an old rabbit pen. I’ve also used it as a brooder. It sits on top of my goose house, so they’re fully contained but can still see their friends.

The rabbit hutch is the hospital.

 

[pepchickens]

Poop boards are just boards that you place under a roost to catch the poop. It helps keep the coop cleaner.

I have a hospital in my coop made of an old rabbit pen. I’ve also used it as a brooder. It sits on top of my goose house, so they’re fully contained but can still see their friends.

The rabbit hutch is the hospital.

Fancy! It looks so nice! That’s a really smart use of space.