Brooder size?

[BReeder!]

In the past we have used a DIY built 4'x2'x1.5' brooder or a large Rubbermaid trough. The DIY brooder is pretty beat up after being left outside in the garden over winter. Oops! The Rubbermaid trough is still an option, but it's primarily my quail brooder and I'm hoping to start hatching more quail soon. So I will likely need to build a new DIY brooder. I'm wondering how big it should be though... length, width, height, square footage, square/circle/rectangle... what is ideal.
We currently have 11 fertile turkey eggs and 6 or 7 fertile chicken eggs in the incubator that will hatch in 13 days. I could have 18 birds in total very soon...
Since the weather is turning for the better, I was thinking about building the new brooder under the poop board shelf in our coop to brood out in the coop rather than our garage or sun room, which are the places we have brooded before. The space I have in mind is 4'x3'x3.5' (I believe that's the height... between 3'-4' for sure). Would this space be enough to brood 11 turkeys and 7 chickens? I'll likely be brooding until the are large enough to integrate into our flock of chicken hens (7 of them currently in our flock).

Side note: not all these new birds will stay in the flock long term. Most of the newbies will be destined for freezer camp.

Here's 2 pics of the space I am considering closing off as a brooder area:

 

[baby-blue]

I’m not sure if it could work in any of your spaces, but I’ve been using a large kiddie pool as a brooder for my older chicks and it’s wonderful! I need to put a chicken wire border around it since they’re all discovering that they can hop out, but it’s a lot of really good space for them. When they’re older, you can fill it with interesting things for them to play with. I have 11 bantams in mine and 1 standard Barred Rock in it (she was too cute to say no to - she got mixed in with the banties at RK). They’re all hooligans and it gives them enough space to flap and scamper to their hearts’ content.

 

[BReeder!]

I’m not sure if it could work in any of your spaces, but I’ve been using a large kiddie pool as a brooder for my older chicks and it’s wonderful! I need to put a chicken wire border around it since they’re all discovering that they can hop out, but it’s a lot of really good space for them. When they’re older, you can fill it with interesting things for them to play with. I have 11 bantams in mine and 1 standard Barred Rock in it (she was too cute to say no to - she got mixed in with the banties at RK). They’re all hooligans and it gives them enough space to flap and scamper to their hearts’ content.

The Rubbermaid trough I have is a similar concept. I would have to put that in the garage or sun room. I am just tired of dusting...

 

[BReeder!]

@Molpet @Faraday40
You ladies might have an opinion on this subject...

 

[Molpet]

ummm poults should have 1 sq ft, but not right away..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-and-raising-turkey-poults.67484/

 

[Molpet]

https://livestockconservancy.org/images/uploads/docs/ALBCturkey-2.pdf

http://www.porterturkeys.com/poultstartingtips.htm

 

[danceswithronin]

I used a large collapsible pet playpen for my brooder last year and was super happy with it. I originally had them in a big gray Tupperware bin, but it didn't get enough air circulation and the chicks got overly hot, so I bought the playpen instead. Instantly more comfortable and I reused it again for this year's chicks. Last year I was able to keep four bantam chicks and one standard in this pen until they were about 4-5 weeks old with no crowding issues - I moved them to the run as soon as it was completed since weather was permitting. Here's a photo of the sort of pen I'm talking about (mine is teal though). It even comes with a cool little pocket to store treats and stuff in. Really easy to clean out, too.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Brooding in coop allows for early integration (I start at 3 weeks complete by 4), lessening the space needed as birds are not confined in that space nearly as long
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rt-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/?page=2

 

[Faraday40]

@Molpet @Faraday40
You ladies might have an opinion on this subject...

I use diff brooders depending on the circumstances.

If I'm selling the chicks, I brood them in a large playpen in the garage. That way visitors are not exposed to my flock.

If I'm growing out a few chicks for myself, I use a re-purposed rabbit cage inside my run. (Either using a broody hen or a heating pad.) Think of the "look but don't peck" approach. When they get older, I open the door enough for the chicks- but not the adults - to pass in/out, so they may have a safe place to return for food/water. I usually keep the cage in place until they reach 4-6 weeks.

In your case, you could probably make some type of removable hardware cloth dividing wall with latches to hold it in place .... and a chick door. When you're done, tuck the wall away in storage for next time.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Brooding in coop allows for early integration (I start at 3 weeks complete by 4), lessening the space needed as birds are not confined in that space nearly as long
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rt-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/?page=2

Meant to include a pic of my setup

This is the brooder panel in place...birds on outside ate about 8 weeks old, had been integrated with adults at 4....in the brooder is second batch of that year (these were taken last year) and they were probably 2 weeks.... the adults were hanging out in the run