Back up and regroup...a brooder story!

[Dawn419]

Oh boy, where to begin?

Last fall I mentioned to hubby that I missed having chickens after HE had mentioned to a neighbor that we wanted to do meat rabbits (Now the rabbits were something we had discussed 10 years ago). We went from 1 pet rabbit up to 38 various aged rabbits in one summer, thanks to the neighbor.

The day after I mention Banty chickens to him, he calls from work saying he found me the perfect sized coop for a small flock. http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2099001040

So I order 5 Silver Seabrights, 5 Mottled Cochins, 5 Blue Silkies, 5 Araucanas and 5 Black Tailed Buff Japanese from MM in February. Not knowing that I wouldn't be getting them until May because I didn't want substitutes, I got to work on making the playhouse coop draft free so I could turn it into an outdoor brooder. (We live in a 3 bdrm, single wide mobile home...no children but the 2 spare bdrms are full of orchids and other houseplants).

Got my heat lamp (red 250 watt) running yesterday just so I'b be prepared and when I checked the temp in there when I got up today it was 120 degrees F under the light.

All I could think about was IF the chicks had been in there...

Sooo, I spent the rest of the daylight hours moving orchids outside to the front porch and will finish my indoor brooder tomorrow...

 

[justusnak]

I just love the coop....what are the dimensions? Looks a little small in the pic for 25 birds.
The brooder....well...first off...the wire is not good for thier little feetsies. And is there a way to put some cardboard around that to keep the draft off of them? Just a good old cardboard box would work great! Just remember, no pine shaveings till at least a week old. Good luck with you little ones, and of course we want pics!

 

[Dawn419]

justusnak,

The coop is 78" x 78" x 78". We'll be culling all roos except for one or possibly 2 (which may lead to a coop addition, IF i get my way!LOL)

Working on cardboarding up the sides and bottom today, just had to take a bit of a "think break".

Thanks for the info on the pine shavings! I would have put them in too early!