Brooder too small now at 2.5 weeks

[bawkbawkbawk]

Hinkjc - do you have a page with pictures of your graduated brooders? I know we're going to need an "intermediate" brooder but not sure what to use - we'll have probably 4 chicks; will use the cardboard box/duct tape method for the introductory brooder.

This thread is telling me I won't be able to have as many chickens as I ultimately want...DH designed the coop by the 4 sq ft per hen rule, thinking we could ultimately have 8 chickens. Does it help that we're also building an 8' x 30' run?

 

[briteday]

Our feed store gets chicks usually in March when it is still pretty cold here. Generally can't put birds outside until sometime in May. And my coop is not set up for brooding space or electricity.

I brood my chicks in a large cardboard box system. Initially, about 10 new chicks will do fine in just one large box with the water and feed. By about one week of age I attach a second box, tape them together, and cut a pop hole so the birds can move from one box to the other. I usually move the food to the second box and leave the brooder lamp in the first box. I always have plenty of bedding in the first box but a little less in the food / water box...less bedding getting into the water fount. Then around three weeks of age I attach yet another box to a different wall of the first box. I put bedding in there, a roost, and I'll throw some crumble in the clean bedding each night so they have something to scratch for and occupy themselves.

By 4-5 weeks of age I add the final box, and now the whole thing looks like a giant square of boxes about 6' x 6'. The ones that want heat can stay around the original box with the lamp. But generally they spend their time running from box to box, checking out the toys and roosts, eating, ... And certainly by 6 weeks they are outside in a safe run during nice days and I bring them back inside for the night...until they are about 8 weeks old. Generally by then our weather is nice enough that they can be in their own coop outside.