Brooder sizing help

[Sconiemamabear]

We have our chicks coming April 1st. We ordered 6 EE’s and plan to get 2-4 more the same day, probably Australorps maybe split 2-2 with Plymouth Rocks. So 8-10 total.

What size brooder should I use and how long are they able to stay in that size brooder. We are looking at possibly using a stock tank and building a mesh cover when they start to get old enough to fly out. A family member has a stock tank we can use but I believe it’s a 50 gallon one, would that be to small?

Coop won’t be ready until mid May.

Thank you!!

 

[azygous]

That's an awfully long stretch of time before the chicks can go into a coop. At age two weeks, they will be getting restless and will be trying to find ways of escaping. It would be best to make plans to take them outside during the day and placing them in their future run or some safe enclosure so they can have room to romp during waking hours. The temp needs to be in the high 50s and warmer.

A brooder that is a minimum of ten square feet is necessary for ten chicks for the first two weeks. It needs to be double that for the next two weeks.By age five or six weeks, chicks should no longer reside in a brooder, but should have access to a coop that is minimum forty square feet and a run that is 100 square feet. With chicken well being in mind, more than that amount in coop and run is always more desirable.

 

[Sconiemamabear]

We plan to do outside time in an enclosed space but our outdoor temps won’t be in the 50’s until mid to late April. Now that I’m doing the 2 sq ft per bird brooder math, I’m realizing we need a bigger space.

 

[Sconiemamabear]

We already have a coop and run plan plenty big enough. But looks like we may be moving the coop build up a couple weeks.