Brooder built into coop.

[happyfrenchman]

I am thinking about building a brooder coming off my coop. A structure very similar to what I have for my nest boxes, with an external access door. The headache of taking chicks out of the brooder, and getting them settled into the coop with the older hens and rooster seems not only to be a headache, but does nothing to foster flock unity. The chicks are viewed as strangers by the larger chickens, and they are of course terrorized by same.
If I make a seperate box, with a small opening that the chicks can venture out into the coop, but then retreat back into the secluded area. The hole would be too small to let full grown chickens in, but the chicks and chickens could become acclimated to one another more naturally..... my current system seems to give birth to multiple small cliques of chickens.... generally those raised together. Has anyone ever tried this?


The brooder would have a flip up top for servicing the needs of the chicks... they would be able to explore into the coop and retreat back into their sanctuary..... The door would be able to be open or closed. Has anyone tried this. It seems to be more natural than what I have been doing. (standard system)

 

[happyfrenchman]

I would probably have to put more windows in it, with hardware cloth for ventilation and light. It would have electricity for a built in lamp with a rheostat to vary the temperature. Seperate water drinker and feeder.

 

[narwhal master]

that's a good idea, I did that for a while, but make sure to keep an eye on the night time temperature, because if they are younger than 2 months the cold can make them ill or even kill them. if they are older than 2 months they don't need to be in a brooder but if it gets colder than -5 to -15 turn on the heat lamp.
best of luck: Narwhal Master

 

[happyfrenchman]

Wow... British Colombia.... that gets pretty cold... I am down in Georgia, USA. We would cry like little girls if we had cold like ya'll do.
I think you are right. I was thinking along those lines this afternoon... that it is easier, when they are small, to keep them in my shop with a light. I was looking at it today, and thinking about it. How did you do it? Did you just move the brooder to inside the coop. with a hatch door. That would be the easiest...

 

[narwhal master]

keep them in side for about 4 weeks with a heat lamp then move them out the the coop's brooder and then you can let them into the coop in about a week. but for the first few days when they are in the coop bring them in at night

 

[happyfrenchman]

I am going to do it... I am 7 days out from a hatch of Blue Copper eggs.... and I am supposed to get a bunch of Wade Jeane BC Marans the week after that. So I will have a mess of chicks. 4 weeks in the garage with the light as required, then into the box in the coop. And I guess close them into the box at night for the first week. I have to build a box.

 

[narwhal master]

When i was building a brooder i kept them in a cardboard box for about a week with a heat lamp.