Brooder and pen questions

[CountryFried]

Making a bigger brooder right now and I have a few questions. I’m doing a wire bottom (1/4” hardware cloth) to try to keep things drier.

Do I need to put shaving over the whole bottom or could I just put them in the sleeping area and mama cave?

I *should* have new babies Friday. Do I need to segregate them from the 1-2 week olds? (Planning to make it so I can put a partition in the brooder anyway)

I am in Southeast Alabama. Is there any reason I can’t make coops out of pallets standing on end? I mean like literally 4 pallets standing up in a square? I’ll be putting the 1/4” HC all around for predators, of course, and am considering putting the coop on a cement pad. The roof will be metal roofing that came off my house. Thinking about a 4’x4’ for 5 Magpies and an 8’x4’ for 12 KCs (hmmm, too small?). Oh and also thought about one big connected coop from pallets with chicken wire dividers.

How long can they go without water at night? (I’ve read some people don’t do water in the coop?)

Thanks!

 

[Jpat]

i wouldnt ever use a wire bottom unless i was getting 200 ducklings in a buisness farm setting

Hooked toe nails, Cut feet, Itsy bitsy jammed wings and bills. Plus generaly uncomfortable... People do it all the time though

People also build them from pallets, My first one was from pallets and is still standing

If you look sometimes pallets have a layer of.plywood on one side. they make a good bottoms. If the floor is off the ground its alot dryer and warmer

4 pallets is enough room but small for 4 ducks

 

[chickens really]

Wire bottom isn't recommended..

 

[CountryFried]

Holderread's book and Metzer's site recommend wire, am I going to have trouble with it? I figured 1/4" was small enough they wouldn't have issues since their feet are much larger.

 

[Jpat]

Its just so industrial, alot of people do it for quails too but theres no way its comfy

If your just using the brooder for a few ducklings once a year its easiest not to use it, They get stuck in it and stuff

But alot of the times its perfectly fine! its only needed for several weeks anyway!

 

[MeganFair]

If you’d like an alternative, use a paint grate in a paint tray. Put the water on top, and it will catch the spills pretty well.

As for your coop, those sizes do seem snug. I can’t answer the water question, ours live mostly in a confined run and always have water available.

Also, don’t know where you’re getting your pallets, but I’d make sure they are treated or painted. Don’t know how wet you get, but over here in S.C. we’ve had pallets disintegrate on us. We tried to use em to make a dog house and it started falling apart rather easily.

 

[DuckyDonna]

If you’d like an alternative, use a paint grate in a paint tray. Put the water on top, and it will catch the spills pretty well.

As for your coop, those sizes do seem snug. I can’t answer the water question, ours live mostly in a confined run and always have water available.

Also, don’t know where you’re getting your pallets, but I’d make sure they are treated or painted. Don’t know how wet you get, but over here in S.C. we’ve had pallets disintegrate on us. We tried to use em to make a dog house and it started falling apart rather easily.

I did the paint grate in the paint tray last spring and it worked pretty well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just bought a broiler pan at a thrift store to sit waters on when my Runners ducklings arrive. It wasn't that easy finding one the wouldn't hurt those little feet.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I just bought a broiler pan at a thrift store to sit waters on when my Runners ducklings arrive. It wasn't that easy finding one the wouldn't hurt those little feet.

I'm going to start looking for something like that that I can fold hwc over. I think it would be much better than the paint tray