Brooder needed to expand for growing girls

[gillianmomx5]

Okay, so I have 12 (hopefully all) girls that are now 3 1/2 weeks old and have found them getting too big to share only one hutch. I am using the chick-n-hutches from Ware. My solution was to remove the front doors from two hutches and "clamp" them together face to face. I still have the brooder light in on one side corner and then used bird netting over the second hutch so they had plenty of ventilation. I have decided that the daytime is okay to go without the light on as in Gilbert, AZ right now we are hitting in the high 70's low 80's. The light will be turned back on after dark and they are currently living in the garage. I am able to keep my eye on them anytime as I installed one of our wireless security cameras inside the hutch. The kids can watch chickencam anytime.

Our joined hutches

The girls

 

[LaLoomis]

Wow, they grow so fast. How do they do on the mesh floor? Have you used that since the beginning?

 

[hooksetz]

Mine are out at that age, especially with that feather development, at 3 1/2 wks. with feathers like that they'll be layin' in a month.

 

[gillianmomx5]

Actually have only taken away cardboard covered with pine shavings within the last 1 1/2 weeks. I started by cutting off a corner of the cardboard and worked farther and farther. They are doing fine with it and it makes clean up easier as the pans underneath just slide out and I can dump them into composter. I watched to make sure no little feet fell through before i took away the cardboard. They still like having something to play around in, so I have a couple boxes that I put pine shavings in. They are getting big way too fast. We have one that likes to fly up to the edge when we pull the netting off to change water and refill feeder. She likes being on our shoulders and the kids think that it is too funny.