Brooder Help for a Chick-Raising Newbie :)

[Kaiser5000]

Hi friends! We have 10 chicks who are 2 weeks old today. We have them in our upstairs loft area. We used cardboard for the floor, covered with pine shavings and then interlocking cardboard walls from My Pet Chicken. They have a feeder, a waterer and two heater panels. Things have been fine but we are wondering what we are supposed to do when they get bigger? One has already flown outside of the coop--- I suppose we could put some netting over the brooder for that issue--- But will 15 square feet be enough space for growing chicks in the upcoming weeks? I guess my question is: will we need to upgrade or change our brooder situation before they are put in their outside coop? If so, any affordable ideas for this?

 

[sourland]

I'd move them to their outside coop as soon as is possible and provide a heat source there. They will rapidly outgrow their present brooder.

 

[Kaiser5000]

I'd move them to their outside coop as soon as is possible and provide a heat source there. They will rapidly outgrow their present brooder.

Thank you for the advice! It wouldn't be too soon at 2 weeks of age? The outside coop is an enclosed area of our barn that has shelves for laying and roosting. (They will be free range, otherwise). Would we need to worry about rodents since the are still so small--- While the area is enclosed, I suppose a mouse or rat could find a way in somehow? We do have power run to the area so we could put the heaters out there . . .

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you for the advice! It wouldn't be too soon at 2 weeks of age? The outside coop is an enclosed area of our barn that has shelves for laying and roosting. (They will be free range, otherwise). Would we need to worry about rodents since the are still so small--- While the area is enclosed, I suppose a mouse or rat could find a way in somehow? We do have power run to the area so we could put the heaters out there . . .

Predator proof the area properly with 1/2" hardware cloth so nothing larger than 1/2" can gain entry ANYWHERE then move the chicks and their heat source out to the coop.

 

[Kaiser5000]

Predator proof the area properly with 1/2" hardware cloth so nothing larger than 1/2" can gain entry ANYWHERE then move the chicks and their heat source out to the coop.

Great! Thanks so much for the advice, all. We love them but it will be nice to have our loft back as well and be able to clean up ha, ha.

 

[Kaiser5000]

Okay--- So I am such a nervous nellie. The draft won't be of concern? We are using heater panels that do stay super warm but they have to be right up against them. The lows at night here can still get into the 30's. While I know we have to do something (my husband just texted to let me know that the cardboard enclosure had completely collapsed and the babes were flying around everywhere in our loft ) everything I read says that we have to wait until at least 4 weeks to put them outdoors . . .

 

[rosemarythyme]

everything I read says that we have to wait until at least 4 weeks to put them outdoors . . .

Hens have been raising chicks outside for thousands of years...

I'd be more concerned about a possible rodent issue. Mice probably won't do much (other than eat all the food) but rats could definitely kill chicks. I'd get to pest proofing the coop area immediately.

In the meantime, toss the cardboard corral thing and get some cardboard boxes, tape them together if you have to to make a bigger enclosure. You MUST cover the top with something - hardware cloth is ideal, possibly netting or chicken wire if that's what you have on hand. Chicks can easily jump a couple feet by 2, 3 weeks.