I need ideas for silkie grow out pens that are off the ground

[vpeterson]

My husband is demanding plans for grow out pens for silkies to put in our garage. He wants them off the ground because he thinks that it will be too cold on ground level for them. We want to use as few heat lamps as possible. I want them as big as possible but still be able to reach to clean them without crawling inside of them. So I guess I am looking for pictures of grow out pens that are elevated or on tables and wondering as to how many inches tall they need to be so the silkies don't jump out. They will stay there until they are feathered enough to go in the outside coop. I figure I would need to house around 24 chicks. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[CountryFried]

Cheap and ugly is to take a sheet of OSB, cut in half, another sheet cut into fourths (2'x4') and build a box. I put mine together with 2x2s in the corners, and then made a top from 2x2s and hardware cloth, it sits inside on the tops of the 2x2s I used in the corners. I took 1x2s and BOLTED them to the sides of the OSB and then across the top to string my heat lamps from. At $6 a sheet for OSB, you can't beat the price, mine cost less than $20 to build.

Another thought (what I wish I'd done, actually) would be to use a full sheet of OSB for the bottom and make the box 4' by 8' and build one of the hover brooders, maybe 2'x4' to sit down inside.

I had my babies on the ground in the brooder for the past 2 weeks outside, temps got to mid-30s, with no issues. They only had the heat lamp for 2 nights because we had to go out of state for a few days and my son forgot to turn it on, but they are 2 months old, so they probably hadn't needed it for a while anyway.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

Quote:
Do you have a pic of this? Thanks

 

[CountryFried]

Quote:
Do you have a pic of this? Thanks

The hover brooder plans are here: http://www.plamondon.com/brooder.shtml

I will be adding a hover brooder to mine, likely 2'x2' or something close to that, I'll be brooding about 40 babies starting next week in it. (My other babies just moved out of it yesterday)

I would probably make it twice the size next time.

I would paint it before I used it. (I REALLY needed to move my babies out of the house, so this was built to be throw-away if it gets ruined)

In the lid, I have drilled through the side of the box and through the lid, and I use 1/4" bolts with wing nuts to prevent predators from being able to get into the box.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

Quote:
Do you have a pic of this? Thanks

The hover brooder plans are here: http://www.plamondon.com/brooder.shtml

I will be adding a hover brooder to mine, likely 2'x2' or something close to that, I'll be brooding about 40 babies starting next week in it. (My other babies just moved out of it yesterday)

I would probably make it twice the size next time.

I would paint it before I used it. (I REALLY needed to move my babies out of the house, so this was built to be throw-away if it gets ruined)

In the lid, I have drilled through the side of the box and through the lid, and I use 1/4" bolts with wing nuts to prevent predators from being able to get into the box.


http://bellacasaacres.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Img_3302.jpg

http://bellacasaacres.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Img_3303.jpg

http://bellacasaacres.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Img_3304.jpg

That's perfect! I'm going to print it out and take it to a friend to build for me. Unless....the lumber mill guys would just cut each piece for me then I could put it together myself. I use rabbit cages out there now with extra wire around them and anything I can find in the garage to block off higher drafts. It works but with winter almost here I need something like that. Thanks

 

[CountryFried]

Quote:
Seriously, you can build this yourself.

Go to the lumber/hardware store, get two sheets of OSB. Have them cut one in half to 4' by 4', and cut the other into fourths, 4' by 2'. Get 3-4 2" by 2", and have them cut one into 18" lengths. For the lid, I found it was better to cut after I put the box together, because the sides of the top aren't exactly 4'. I used lath screws to put it together because I was afraid wood/deck screws would pull through. (I've never used OSB before, so I don't know what to expect from it)

I will say the box is HEAVY, so build it where you want it LOL.