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Do you have any dog crates,, big boxes, big rubber made containers? My chicks are first put into either a large cardboard box or smallish ( 20 gallon?) rubber made container, size depending on how many I have. I attach a worklamp, usually with just a 60-100 W bulb, since they're in a warm house, not in the cold outdoors.
They are moved from there to a big dog crate, then to my dog ex-pen. I like to get them outside with the dog ex-pen at 2-4 weeks, depending on feathering and size. Cornish X are ASAP, bantams are close to 4 weeks, since I cants even put them in the ex-pen, they can get through the grate slats for so long, they are so tiny.
When outside, or even in the house in the ex-pen, I cover the top with a sheet or tarp. My yard is pretty predator proof but I did have a pit-bull bust in and kill some cornish chicks this spring, very scary, my Doberman and papillon got into the fight and I came close to losing a papillon. Still thanking my doberman everyday for that one! Stray cats are a problem but so far haven't figured out the pen/ sheet contraption.
I once lost a peachick to a hawk in OK. It was pulled through the slats of the ex-pen! I have it in a picture! The chick was almost as large as my full grown OEGBs!
Anyway, I wouldn't get real fancy with a brooder set-up. I've also made them out of the cheap, plastic fencing from HD, although I wasn't very happy with that.
They're in a large, plastic crate right now which works well inside. I just haven't ever had to move them outside without putting them right in the coop. I couldn't imagine how I was going to have a 16-20 sq ft space for them in my already filled yard before they move in with the big girls. It sounds like from everyone's comments that I won't need that much space.
I ended up getting an inexpensive crib, 55 x 34, off of craigslist for cheap. I'll just wrap it in chicken wire and fix up something for the bottom that will be easy to clean. The tarp for the top is a great idea in case we get any rain. I was originally going to cut off the legs and have it sit directly on the ground but we have abundant scorpions so I think they'll be a little safer off the ground until they're bigger. It comes apart pretty easily so if I wrap each side separately I can store it flat in the attic - you know, that chicken math thing. ;
