brooder for 26 baby chicks? all different breeds

[mener6896]

I have 26 baby chicks coming in June and I was wondering if I can put them all in 1 brooder? They will be a mixture of breeds, rocks, rir, nh, orp, wyandotte, etc. How big of a brooder do I need for that many birds? Can I put them in the chicken coop if I have heat lamps out there? I have 2-4 week old sexlinks, that I can keep seperate (coop is 8x10) can divide off.

I think I bit off more than I can chew with so many coming.....

any advice will be greatly appreciated.

FYI, for the girls I have, I had them in a rubbermaid box with chicken wire over the top & heat lamp until they mostly feathered out, then put them in a "rabbit cage" design, they aren't in the coop yet....it's still being built.

 

[tackyrama]

I had 35 chicks in a corner of the garage about 4x5 feet. I had two heat lamps and chips on the floor. Worked out just fine. After four weeks I moved them into a separate area of the coop (still with a heat lamp) to make room for more chicks. I know different age chicks can be a problem but I would think the 2-4 week chicks you mentioned might be close enough to mingle with. You can always separate again.

 

[mylilchix]

I have bantams and standard breeds in one brooder and they're all doing awesome together!!

 

[stormylady]

my brooders always have alot of different breeds in them,but all the same age. the chicks don't seem to mind. LOL
My brooders are cardboard boxes w. heat source, food and fresh water, and paper towels on the bottom for the first couple of days then add the bedding in the bottom for them. I just keep upsizing till it it time to go out to the coop.

 

[Maryallison]

Yes go ahead and put them all together. AT 1st the brooder dosen't have to be very big. We use a rubbermaid rectangle sized tote. DH cut a rectangle out of the lid and then stapled hardware cloth in it so we can still snap the lid closed.

 

[thedeacon]

I had 28 new chicks of 15 different breeds this spring. Only lost 1. They were in an unheated shed, inside a covered 3 x 4 brooder with 1 heat lamp. It got below freezing most every night. The heat lamp provided suffient heat. At 2 1/2 wks old I raised one end of the brooder and let the have the full coop. 8 X 8 with wood chips covering the dirt floor. Moved the feed and water into the pen also. Without the feed and water in the brooder, they had plenty of room as they were getting bigger. Today, they are 8 wks old. All 27 are healthy and active. They now have an outside pen 8 x 20. I don't even lock them in at night and some sleep outside. I don't worry about predators as my dog sleeps next to the pen. I have 20 roos and 7 poulets. Will keep 1-2 of the roos and all poulets and if can't sell the 15 different breed of roos will put them in thr freezer. I just wanted to choose which breed I like best, thats why so many different breeds. Having a great time with them.