Help me modify my coop to include a brooder

[ChickenLittle5]

We got baby chicks last year and the kids took great care of them. They sold several through the 4-H program, so we have 15 hens & 2 roosters (EE & Bielefelders). I suppose they're technically still pullets/cockerels, but we are close to the 1-yr mark! The kids have once again signed up for the 4-H chick chain and will be getting 12 EE & 12 RIR chicks in the next week or two. We planned on building a brooder similar to the one we used last year, but when we went to Lowe's last night we were in for a shock at the price of plywood. One sheet was around $33! Ouch! I don't want to spend that much money on a temporary brooder. (We repurposed last year's brooder when building the coop.) My plan now is to repurpose items we already have (dog kennel, plastic bins, metal tub??) to use as a brooder in the house for the first 2-3 weeks and then move them to the chicken coop. We have electricity out there, so we will have a heat lamp on them until the weather is warm enough to remove it.

Can someone offer suggestions on how to modify my coop (hen house & run) to keep the little chicks safe from the big chickens? Given the high prices, I'd love to limit the amount of wood required for the modifications but will do what is necessary. Is there a way to separate with plastic poultry netting? I already have a roll of that. I'm attaching photos of our setup along with a floor plan/elevation sketch. I'd love suggestions!

I realize once the chicks are grown, the coop will technically be undersized for this many birds if I'm using the 7-8 SF/bird rule. However, we recently started free-ranging and unless we have issues with preditors, we will continue to do so with the larger birds. Plus, the majority of the baby chicks will be sold in August at the 4-H fair.

 

[jlpierce45]

I don’t have any advice, but im replying so that hopefully others who can help you see this post!

 

[RojoMarz]

Use the poultry netting to fence in the space under the hen house?

Have a dog xpen that can be used to section off some space inside the hen house? Could use some poultry netting to cover the xpen.

 

[aart]

I put a temporary wall up for chick space, but I have a people door to that area and a separate run.
Here's 3 set ups that might help you out:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[ChickenLittle5]

Have a dog xpen that can be used to section off some space inside the hen house? Could use some poultry netting to cover the xpen.

Thanks! Your idea about the dog xpen reminded me that I had a plastic playpen/gate when the kids were little. I'll have to dig around the basement and attic to see if I still have it. That would allow for a larger portion in the coop than my dog kennel and the kennel won't get as nasty.

I put a temporary wall up for chick space, but I have a people door to that area and a separate run.
Here's 3 set ups that might help you out:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Thank you! All 3 of those look useful! I'll read through them in detail over the next couple of weeks and see if I can't come up with a plan for mine. I'm curious, I see at least one of those setups shows photos of a ramp. At what age do the little chicks reliably start using the ramps to put themselves in the hen house/run?

 

[aart]

I'm curious, I see at least one of those setups shows photos of a ramp. At what age do the little chicks reliably start using the ramps to put themselves in the hen house/run?

Probably mine, I have a ton of ramps.
I add some smaller 'training ramps' in the auxiliary run to train up the babies, using chick scratch as 'bait', before letting them in to the main coop at 4 weeks.

 

[Titiana]

I just built a new chicken coop, it's actually a chicken trailer (built on old hay wagon frame) and the nesting boxes stick out to one side with exterior doors. Nesting area is about 32 inches tall and divided in half, so a shelf each 16 inches tall.
I do not need that many nesting boxes, but plan on using the bottom area under the shelf for a brooder area, or quarentine area (injuries only).
That being said, I wonder if you could frame in a brooding area under your nesting boxes?

 

[ChickenLittle5]

I just built a new chicken coop, it's actually a chicken trailer (built on old hay wagon frame) and the nesting boxes stick out to one side with exterior doors. Nesting area is about 32 inches tall and divided in half, so a shelf each 16 inches tall.
I do not need that many nesting boxes, but plan on using the bottom area under the shelf for a brooder area, or quarentine area (injuries only).
That being said, I wonder if you could frame in a brooding area under your nesting boxes?

When we first built the coop, I had planned on framing in under the nest boxes to store the extra food and bedding. With all the delays in construction last year, we nixed that part of the project. I supposed I could look at building that out and using it as a brooder now and switching to storage once the chicks are big enough to move into the coop. I'll have to think about that. The kids make a mess with the bedding and food, so I'd love to get it out of the basement!

 

[ChickenLittle5]

Sadly the chicks were delayed in the mail 2 extra days and I'm told were either DOA or very ill. The 4H lady is going to drive 8 hours on Monday to pick up the replacements so they don't suffer the same fate. I hope this is the exception and not the norm for chick delivery this year!