Outdoor brooder help

[schambo]

I’m expecting 3 baby chicks (I only have a tiny flock with 3 year old hens. I’m only allowed 6 hens on my small, in-town property.) Do you think I could use this old mini-coop as a brooder?

How would you do it - remove the ramp temporarily and keep them in the lower part, or block the hole up top and keep them in the upper part?



I don’t have a lamp or brooder plate. Because of my limited flock size, I don’t really anticipate brooding chicks very often, so I’d rather not invest. I’m hoping to set up something like this using a heating pad. https://storybookfarmwv.com/farm/mama-heating-pad-brooder/

Is it a huge fire hazard to try this outside with an extension cord, considering the heat pad is meant to be for indoor use? It would be well-protected inside the brooder.

ETA: I live in Eastern Canada, it’s about Zone 5b. Overnight temperatures are around 30° - 40° (I think my conversion is okay… I don’t really use Fahrenheit, it’s between -1° and 5°C), and daytime temps are around 50°-60°.

 

[schambo]

I’m expecting 3 baby chicks (I only have a tiny flock with 3 year old hens. I’m only allowed 6 hens on my small, in-town property.) Do you think I could use this old mini-coop as a brooder? View attachment 3478008

How would you do it - remove the ramp temporarily and keep them in the lower part, or block the hole up top and keep them in the upper part?

View attachment 3478010

I don’t have a lamp or brooder plate. Because of my limited flock size, I don’t really anticipate brooding chicks very often, so I’d rather not invest. I’m hoping to set up something like this using a heating pad. https://storybookfarmwv.com/farm/mama-heating-pad-brooder/

Is it a huge fire hazard to try this outside with an extension cord, considering the heat pad is meant to be for indoor use? It would be well-protected inside the brooder.

ETA: I live in Eastern Canada, it’s about Zone 5b. Overnight temperatures are around 30° - 40° (I think my conversion is okay… I don’t really use Fahrenheit, it’s between -1° and 5°C), and daytime temps are around 50°-60°.

I’m expecting them in about 2 weeks, and the expected nighttime temps are more like 40° than 30°, though we still always plan for occasional frost and freezing temps in May here.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would remove the ramp and plan on using the bottom part only. If you have some scrap wood I would cover about 1/3rd of the wire on each long side at the bottom to create a protected space to put the heating pad in.

Result should be something like this, where you see the left side is protected (and that's where my heating pad goes):

If at all possible, place the brooder where the hens can see the babies most of the day, and that'll also knock out the beginning of integration for you.

Temperate range should be fine as long as it'll consistently stay in that range, I brood when it's between mid 40s and mid 60s.