Anyone use these pens for baby chicks?

[WhiteWyan]

Hi I'm planning on hatching in a couple months. Wanted to know if anyone has experience with this sort of set up.

Want to keep them in my spare room to age 8 weeks. Will hopefully have approx 20 birds.

My main question is, how do you clean it? I have a few ideas but I want to know what other people have done.

You guys ROCK. thank IA

 

[Mtnboomer]

How big is that? Chicks grow quickly and at 8 wks, 20 birds will be requiring a lot of space. I cant help you with that product. I built (2) 3x5 brooders that i raise my chicks in, but at 8 wks they are really crowded and are moved into an 8'x32' flight pen.

 

[WhiteWyan]

How big is that? Chicks grow quickly and at 8 wks, 20 birds will be requiring a lot of space. I cant help you with that product. I built (2) 3x5 brooders that i raise my chicks in, but at 8 wks they are really crowded and are moved into an 8'x32' flight pen.

Hey I'm not sure actually! Currently i am in the brainstorming process. Have you ever raised chicks in a set up like the picture I posted? How did you manage litter? How do you manage litter in your 3×5 brooders you built? Thanks

 

[Chick Wrangler]

Last year I purchased an enclosure from Amazon. It was called Summerhawk Ranch Small Animal Enclosure. It worked really well for a brooder. It has lots of room. Would not want it in my house but it worked great in the
garage.

 

[IamRainey]

I use a folding wire dog kennel. I had to line the sides with 1/4" hardware cloth so the chicks can't just walk through the uprights and then fling the pine shavings everywhere. But I only had to do that once.

What I like about it is I can put it on the big counter between my kitchen and family room. We're together all the time when I'm working in the kitchen or watching TV so they get used to me. I'm not looming over them and being a terrifying presence. I can reach in easily to clean the feed and water. They come right to the door if my grandson or I approach. There's lots of room for Mama Heating Pad, a waterer and a feeder (though probably not 20 chicks!). I put in little branch roosts with nylon zip ties.

Then when it's time for them to go out to the run, I take them kennel and all. They have their own protected food and water while the big girls get used to being around them. I put the kennel next to the big girls' feeder so they get used to being close but neither group of birds or their food source is threatened by the other.

After 3-4 weeks out there in the shared space the chicks are pretty adolescent and hardy so I open the door to the kennel and let them decide when they're going to venture out. Initially, they'll spend their days in the general population but go back to the kennel to roost when the big girls go up to the coop. But when I feel like it's time, I take the kennel out and fold it up for storage. The adolescents will still huddle together in the run at night (it's perfectly safe) until one day they just decide to follow the older hens up to the coop. They'll huddle in the bedding on the side opposite the roosts for a while but in time they fully integrate. They find their spot on the roost and they're a member of the flock.

Since I've started doing it this way, I've had NO mean girl nonsense. It's been great.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I usually use card board boxes with a securely suspended lamp in my house, (I have no kids or cats.) then after the first week(sorry no smelly emoji) I move them to outdoors to a private (away from hens) greenhouse once again with a securely suspended lamp (bolted).

 

[Mtnboomer]

Hey I'm not sure actually! Currently i am in the brainstorming process. Have you ever raised chicks in a set up like the picture I posted? How did you manage litter? How do you manage litter in your 3×5 brooders you built? Thanks

I have not . The brooders i built have two swinging doors. I open one and sweep out the litter with a hand brush a d dust pan then replace. The chicks all move to the other side while I am doingit. Then I do the other side. Takes 5min.

 

[abpatchy]

I am using those foldable puppy play pens out of netting and nylon fabric. It has netting on top.. are foldable and not very heavy. So far so good. It's only my first hatch so not a lot of experience.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I use a folding wire dog kennel. I had to line the sides with 1/4" hardware cloth so the chicks can't just walk through the uprights and then fling the pine shavings everywhere. But I only had to do that once.

What I like about it is I can put it on the big counter between my kitchen and family room. We're together all the time when I'm working in the kitchen or watching TV so they get used to me. I'm not looming over them and being a terrifying presence. I can reach in easily to clean the feed and water. They come right to the door if my grandson or I approach. There's lots of room for Mama Heating Pad, a waterer and a feeder (though probably not 20 chicks!). I put in little branch roosts with nylon zip ties.

Then when it's time for them to go out to the run, I take them kennel and all. They have their own protected food and water while the big girls get used to being around them. I put the kennel next to the big girls' feeder so they get used to being close but neither group of birds or their food source is threatened by the other.

After 3-4 weeks out there in the shared space the chicks are pretty adolescent and hardy so I open the door to the kennel and let them decide when they're going to venture out. Initially, they'll spend their days in the general population but go back to the kennel to roost when the big girls go up to the coop. But when I feel like it's time, I take the kennel out and fold it up for storage. The adolescents will still huddle together in the run at night (it's perfectly safe) until one day they just decide to follow the older hens up to the coop. They'll huddle in the bedding on the side opposite the roosts for a while but in time they fully integrate. They find their spot on the roost and they're a member of the flock.

Since I've started doing it this way, I've had NO mean girl nonsense. It's been great.

I wouldn't brood indoors given the option to use a garage basement or existing run. Their dander gets pretty excessive and into every nook and cranny to clean out. Brooding outdoors is the way to go plenty people I've heard of in the far Northeast do that without exception using only that Mama heating pad method. Also if you search for that on this forum you'll find you can make it yourself for around 13 or $14. It sure beats running a 250 watt light bulb to keep them warm 4 8weeks. My heat pad tops out at 18 Watts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi I'm planning on hatching in a couple months. Wanted to know if anyone has experience with this sort of set up.

Want to keep them in my spare room to age 8 weeks. Will hopefully have approx 20 birds.

My main question is, how do you clean it? I have a few ideas but I want to know what other people have done.

You guys ROCK. thank IA

No, I have not used it.
Is your outside coop/run ready for the chicks or are you in the process of building one?
The pen, I think would be o.k. for the first few weeks, but 20 chicks are going to outgrow that quickly. They are also going to generate a LOT of dust and stink. Do you have a garage or shed you can put them in? If their outdoor housing is ready, can you brood them there?

As for cleaning it, it looks like you need to buy the liner separately. That said, IF I do keep chicks inside (usually no more than a week), I use puppy pads, less dust and easy cleanup, but if you plan on 8 weeks, that would be expensive.
If you were going to do this, then it would be a good idea to cut a piece of plastic large enough to go in the bottom of the brooder, put in a thin layer of shavings (bedding). Scoop poop daily. When they get older (chicks are STINKY!) you likely want to change the bedding daily too - this is where your plastic comes in, pull it up and fold over, so you can take it and dump all the bedding. You will need a place to put the chicks while you do a total clean out as well.
43L x 43W x 29H inches
https://judychicken.com/products/chick-brooderplaypen