30 chicks/kiddie pool?

[avodah]

I need a brooder for 4-6 weeks, then I will be putting them in their eggmobile. We have 30 cinnamon queen/Easter egg chicks coming and I am looking for the most economic way of doing this. I was thinking of using two kiddi pools- starting with them all in one and then putting half in the other after week two? but I wasn't sure if they would be tall enough. They will be tell enough for month old chicks if we don't add any more height but just screen the top. Thoughts? Better ideas? I priced out storage bins but they were just way too costly. Thanks

 

[junebuggena]

For that many chicks, for 6 weeks, you are going to need something that is approximately 240 sq ft. Chicks grow incredibly fast, doubling in size each week. Their space needs increase accordingly. The pools may be fine for a week or two, but then it's going to get crowded. And crowded chicks can quickly turn on each other to the point of killing each other.
A few appliance boxes will be better.

 

[chwychuro]

I've raised 4 chickens in a kiddie pool until they were 3 months old. I do like to give them more room than is necessary though. and after the first week, the chickens kept flying out and roosting on the side. So instead I got a dog pen, one of those portable ones that can be open if you wish. i put it around the kiddie pool and they didn't fly over that until about 2 and a half months old. When I do get more, I was thinking of doing an easy brooder by finding some 2x4's on craigslist for free and maybe purchase a couple of plywoods and then keep it inside the garage.

 

[3riverschick]

I need a brooder for 4-6 weeks, then I will be putting them in their eggmobile. We have 30 cinnamon queen/Easter egg chicks coming and I am looking for the most economic way of doing this. I was thinking of using two kiddi pools- starting with them all in one and then putting half in the other after week two? but I wasn't sure if they would be tall enough. They will be tell enough for month old chicks if we don't add any more height but just screen the top. Thoughts? Better ideas? I priced out storage bins but they were just way too costly. Thanks

Hi,
Ok up to 4 weeks you need 1 sq. ft. per bird. After that 1.5 sq. ft. per bird.
here's what I did for a grow out pen after the chicks left the baby brooder .and it worked real well. I suppose you could rig a light if you wanted to use this set-up as a baby brooder too. I went to the supermarket and got several Gaylord's. Those are the triple thick cardboard corrals they put watermelons or pumpkins in. The supermarkets like to get rid of them because they take up too much room in the baler. Ok, each one has 15 sq. ft. inside. I put mine in the garage. Laid down a cheap blue tarp on the floor an set the Gaylord on top. The added 4 inches of kiln-dried shavings ( white bale) from Tractor Supply. Not the yellow bale. feed and waterer go on platform. They should be the height of the bird's back and raised as they grow. I took chicken wire and cut it to fit the top, with an over lap. Folded duct tape around the edges of the chicken wire so I wouldn't scratch my hands. Laid 2x4's across the top of the chicken wire so the birds couldn't fly out. Lifted part of the lid by hand to fix feed and water. It worked great I used 7 Ligjt Sussex per Gaylord and raised them to 3 months. I think you can do well with 2 Gaylord's raising to 4 weeks or 3 Gaylord's raising to 6 weeks. No need to clean them, just keep adding wood shavings.
Best,
Karen

 

[avodah]

Thanks so much! That is a really good idea

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with junebugena