Brooder size needed for 20 baby chicks?

[451757]

What size brooder is best for 20 baby chicks (sex links, australorps, and easter eggers) to allow them enough room to grow and live in for about 6 weeks until they're ready to go outside permanently in the coop?
We live in Alabama, by the way, so would they be able to go outside into the coop (with or without a brooding setup) earlier than 6 weeks? The coop/run will be predator and draft/weather proof.

Also, what are y'alls thoughts on putting these 20 chicks (will be ordering them in September) with our 8 year old buff orpington hen who is always broody? Is that safe to do? Would we need to do anything special to the coop/run to baby chick proof it and/or make sure that they're getting their electrolyte water and chick starter? Our hen shares this space with her sister who is never broody.

 

[Folly's place]

I use a 100 gal. stock tank as a brooder in the garage, and then move the chicks to a separate area in the coop after they are about 2.5 weeks old, so they have time for their Marek's vaccine to take hold. The brooder is about 2'x 4' diameter, and their first coop area is about 3'x 5' in size. After another week or two, they get that area plus an area about 7'x 10' for another couple of weeks, and then can go outside and start mingling with the rest of the flock.
There's no reason that you can't brood your chicks in their coop, if it's a new set-up for a new flock, as long as they have their brooder plate to stay warm as needed.
Mary

 

[451757]

I use a 100 gal. stock tank as a brooder in the garage, and then move the chicks to a separate area in the coop after they are about 2.5 weeks old, so they have time for their Marek's vaccine to take hold. The brooder is about 2'x 4' diameter, and their first coop area is about 3'x 5' in size. After another week or two, they get that area plus an area about 7'x 10' for another couple of weeks, and then can go outside and start mingling with the rest of the flock.
There's no reason that you can't brood your chicks in their coop, if it's a new set-up for a new flock, as long as they have their brooder plate to stay warm as needed.
Mary

Thanks! We have an extra large dog crate that we had planned on using, but wasn't sure if it would be sufficient enough? We would cover it in hardware cloth and insert cardboard to hold bedding in, but how long do you think the crate would be okay for before they would have to go into something bigger? I think the crate itself is maybe a 2x4.

Is it safe to say that the crate would be big enough for maybe the first 4 weeks of their lives and then they could go outside into their coop? Or no?

 

[Folly's place]

It will be tight, and it may be more difficult to manage the hear source. Do you mean a wire crate, or an airline crate type? The wire crate may have openings too large, allowing chicks to escape.
Some people use big appliance cardboard boxes too.
Anything you use must be protected from predators, and this includes any pet cats or dogs you may have.
And it needs a hardware cloth lid, if it's has an open top, like our stock tanks.
Mary

 

[451757]

It will be tight, and it may be more difficult to manage the hear source. Do you mean a wire crate, or an airline crate type? The wire crate may have openings too large, allowing chicks to escape.
Some people use big appliance cardboard boxes too.
Anything you use must be protected from predators, and this includes any pet cats or dogs you may have.
And it needs a hardware cloth lid, if it's has an open top, like our stock tanks.
Mary

It's a wire crate, but we do plan to cover it in hardware cloth.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Honestly if she accepts them, I would personally say give her as many as she will take and just raise the rest

 

[rosemarythyme]

If the broody will accept them that would be the easiest route for you. The coop/run would need to be chick proofed son that there's no gaps that chicks can escape through or get stuck in. Put the hens on the same water/food as the chicks are getting.

We live in Alabama, by the way, so would they be able to go outside into the coop (with or without a brooding setup) earlier than 6 weeks? The coop/run will be predator and draft/weather proof.

Yes, absolutely. I brood outdoors from the start (which is an option if you can run electric out to the coop or run) and wean off heat between 3-4 weeks, depending on temps and weather conditions. When I removed heat from my current chicks it was down around 48F at night.

We have an extra large dog crate that we had planned on using, but wasn't sure if it would be sufficient enough? I think the crate itself is maybe a 2x4.

That is pretty tiny. I know I always go too big for chicks but the first 2 weeks they can get by with maybe 1/2 sq ft per chick, then 1 sq ft at 4 weeks. So proactively a 20 sq ft brooder would last until roughly 4 weeks.

 

[eggspecto_patronum]

Hi, I have 31 chicks heading this way. Also located in Alabama. I'll be brooding my chicks in their coop. They however are the only chickens. They will be sectioned off and allowed access to the coop as they grow.

 

[Hartsharvestfarms]

Yay 20 baby chicks! My first chicks we had 15 in a wire dog crate that was sealed with hardware cloth and it worked well for the first 3 weeks. After that the chicks needed more space and actually started to get injured because they didn’t have enough space and were scratching each other up while trying to move around. We had to scramble to make a second brooder and it was not ideal. These were Lavender Orpington’s. So I would say 20 may work for about 2 weeks, after that I would either put half or all of them in another space.
I would also try to give as many as possible to your broody hen if she will accept them. The way I do this is by putting the chicks under my best mother when she is sitting on eggs. I only do one/two at a time and keep her, her eggs and the given chicks separate from the flock. Her reaction has always been to immediately accept the chicks and turn to me like, “get away from my baby”. This has a lot to do with this breed and the specific hen. I always give her space after that, but make sure to watch her for a bit and check frequently. I prefer to do this in the morning so I can check throughout the day, but I have seen some people have better success at night when the hen is calm and docile. If she is not nesting on eggs when your chicks arrive you can try putting eggs/wooden eggs under her to bring out her broody side. Good luck with this!

 

[Jennc-123]

I live in southern Canada and put mine outside at 3 weeks (In July) As long as it's around 18 celsius they will do fine