Brooder added to existing coop

[bcmama]

About 4 years ago we built our first coop, https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/city-chix-coop for our six hens. Over the four years we have lost two and this year we decided to add 4 more to our flock as only one of our original hens is currently laying regularly. We got chicks that were 2.5 weeks old and a few days old. We set up our brooder in the bathroom and kept them in there for three weeks. But after awhile having chickens in the bathroom is the pits, so we turned part of our coop into a brooder for our new girls and it seems to have worked out very well for the old and the new girls. Here are some pics.

Looking into the coop. Separator between the old girls and new girls with a view of the light.


Removable insulating blocks covering up the lower section to reduce and wind. They go on at night and come off during the day.

Looking in from the door. The new girls have a 4'x6' space and the old gals have 8'x6' plus the 4'x6' coop above.

Little bedding and food area.

Enjoying the heat lamp.

Also over the past year we have had a mouse problem in the coop. They were digging in under the foundation and coming up through the dirt. So before moving the new girls in, we dug out the entire floor of the coop and laid thin hardware cloth going up the sides to keep them from coming in. We then laid 1500 lbs of new sand about 6-8 inches thick to the floor. Happy to say, no mice

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Brooder looks amazing, I really like the way you've integrated it into your existing structure.

Getting rid of pests is such a great feeling, I can totally relate to your sense of satisfaction in Solving the mouse issues.

Great ideas.....

 

[bcmama]

Brooder looks amazing, I really like the way you've integrated it into your existing structure.

Getting rid of pests is such a great feeling, I can totally relate to your sense of satisfaction in Solving the mouse issues.

Great ideas.....

Thanks. It is so satisfying to be rid of the mice...at least for now. The chicks seem happy out there. They have so much more room. Their first night they chased the bugs that were flying to the light. I can't imagine they had much sleep.