Advice/Moral Support? Ordering my first flock

[1TurkenLover]

Many of us brood our chicks in the coop. If you provide the appropriate heat, there is absolutely no reason why one should have to put up with the stink, the dander, and the noise, as well as the personal space disruption by having chicks in the house. Been there, done that. NEVER AGAIN!!!!

X2 we've done both ways, Just make SAFETY first with heater. & Secure.

 

[Cyneswith]

They are ordered! Still not sure just what I'll do about the brooder phase (I have a plastic tub prepped that I was intending to keep in my homeschool room under/behind a curtain). July is basically shot for coop building, and school starts mid-August. I'll just have to make it work.

 

[Cyneswith]

They're chicks? Too tiny for a coop. They'll need a brooder and heat for the first few weeks. I'm in E. TN and just hatched a bunch of blue Orps. I'll give them to you if you aren't too far to drive and pick them up. I just enjoy hatching

It looks like you'd be a minimum of 4 1/2 hours away - I can't justify a 9 hour drive with little ones for a chicken. But I do appreciate the offer!

 

[Cyneswith]

Another question - would a large metal dog crate work for a brooder (going to use a brooder plate), or will they just pop out the sides? I'm not sure the brooder box I made is big enough for the chicks we'll have in it (it'll be OK for 3 chicks, probably not for 7, and definitely not for 7 "teens".)

I could tie some hardware cloth to the sides if it is a problem - I don't want the surprise of a chick in my cat's jaws.

 

[Folly's place]

Metal dog crates won't work, the openings are too big. I use a leaking 100 gal. livestock water tank with shavings as bedding, and a very well secured heat lamp over one end of it. The heating plates work very well, as long as you don't overestimate the number of chicks each size will support. They are cheaper to run, too! You can brood in a big cardboard or wooden shipping crate, or the bathtub. Indoors is awful! Don't have them inside for more than a couple of days, if that. DUST! Not good to breathe. Your cat, and every other predator, will LOVE those chicks, so keep them safe. Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

A brooder doesn't have to be in your house. Just as long as it's 95° first week, -5 thereafter until they feather out some. You being in S.C. should be in about 3 wks. According to your selected breeds.

Many of us have found that 95 is simply too warm in the first week. If using a heat lamp, I might keep it at 95 directly under the lamp for the first day or two for SHIPPED chicks, but then, immediately decrease to 85 - 90, based on chick's behavior. Always let the chicks behavior be your guide instead of the "they said" protocol. Granted, that protocol is a good starting place, but do not adhere to it if the chick's behavior is telling you something else.

 

[lazy gardener]

Another question - would a large metal dog crate work for a brooder (going to use a brooder plate), or will they just pop out the sides? I'm not sure the brooder box I made is big enough for the chicks we'll have in it (it'll be OK for 3 chicks, probably not for 7, and definitely not for 7 "teens".)

I could tie some hardware cloth to the sides if it is a problem - I don't want the surprise of a chick in my cat's jaws.

If you have a cat, even with HWC on the sides, I'd be concerned about him reaching in from above. Those chicks are going to be irresistible to him. Many folks do use a dog crate, and zip tie HWC to the sides. But, in your case, with cat... I'd not go that route.

Do you have a garage or a shed? Is it fairly rodent proof? I'd not worry so much about mice, but RATS could be chick killers. If you have a garage available, or a closed in porch, or some such, you could brood them there, and keep the mess out of your house.

Sometimes, I start chicks in an appliance box in my garage for a few days before moving them to the coop with their heating pad brooder. You can cover the box with a secure screen, or a chicken wire top... or what ever secure (cat proof) cover you can come up with. It will provide much more room, and you can easily add an extra box if you need the room! If you've not yet bought your heat plate, I urge you to read Blooie's article about heating pad brooding. And she has a thread dedicated to the same topic. A heating pad provides a wonderful broody mimic for a fraction of the cost of the plate.

As for your coop, think outside the box: Sometimes you can buy a shed from Lowes, Home Depot or a competitor for about the same price you could build a similar sized structure. End of season, they may be marking their models down to get them out of the parking lot before snow season starts. Minor modifications in terms of extra ventilation, perches, windows, nest boxes, water proofing floor, and you're ready to go with a finished coop. You might even find a used shed that could be moved without too much work. For 7 birds, I'd be looking at a minimum of 4 x 8 foot print to allow a bit of extra room for feed storage, a broody cage, or any future flock expansion.

 

[Cyneswith]

I've got a garage, though not sure on the rodent proof side, and a screened porch. I'm reluctant to put them in the garage, because I have a very spotty memory and can see myself forgetting them for a day or two. I will only be keeping 3 of the chickens, but my coop is 4x8 with a planned 8x12 run (still need to get the posts for the run. Coop posts are set and floor is framed in.)

 

[lazy gardener]

Will your memory be improved so you won't forget them when they move out to your coop?

 

[Cyneswith]

Will your memory be improved so you won't forget them when they move out to your coop?

I saw that I should check chicks about 5 times a day, which makes my scatterbrained tendencies more dangerous than, say, forgetting to clean the cat pan for a day and a half. Once I'm in the habit of caring for them, it won't be much of a problem.