Brooder Venting Designs?

[WalnutTree]

There are many ways you can design the amount of air a brooder gets .
And I... Dont know what to do!
So far I have 6 brooder ideas quickly sketched on a notepad.
I'd like to know what everyone else has done and if they're anything like my designs?
I'll be making a permanent brooder in our shed (stays the same temperature as outside) and our WA weather is spring/summer is usually 70-90°F.
I'll be getting my chicks in April 2021.
Here are the photos of my brooder ideas.

 

[WalnutTree]

I was thinking it could also act as a sick room for the sick or injured.. I'll only be getting chicks 2-4 years at a time. Once you start, you can't stop! That's my motto

 

[NatJ]

I was thinking it could also act as a sick room for the sick or injured..

Sounds like a good plan!

I definitely suggest it be mostly hardware cloth, with little or no plywood.

Or you could just brood chicks right on the floor of the shed, and not build a brooder at all. But that would interfere with whatever else you use the shed for

 

[Gallinarium]

Three has done well in my experience, though any of those would work.

 

[centralcaligirl]

Such a beautiful setting! I am not an expert on predator-proofing by any stretch. I would suggest a new post in the Coop Design & Maintenance forum specifically asking for feedback on predator-proofing. There are many experts there and probably some from your area who are also familiar with the specific predators near you. It would also depend on how secure the shed is.

What you described would definitely work for me, though, where I am in California.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If you keep the shed closed, I thinking would be fine

 

[NatJ]

If you're using it inside the shed, you might use the 2x4's and harware cloth for the top and sides, but skip plywood entirely (plywood floor OK.)

For the first few days, put pieces of cardboard inside the hardware cloth to block drafts. As the chicks get bigger, remove a piece of cardboard every few days, so it's all gone by the time they're 1-2 weeks old.

Fresh air is really important. Also, it's easier to add cardboard or plywood later than it is to rip it off and add more hardware cloth.

And hardware cloth for the sides also makes it more useful if you need to separate an injured bird, or a broody hen, or introduce a new bird gradually to others.

Is the shed where you house adult chickens too, or do they have a separate coop?

 

[NatJ]

The chicken coop is quite far away from the brooder on the property

In that case, the brooder will not be able to do double-duty as an introduction pen But it might be a great quarantine pen during the times you do not have chicks. (Unless you're raising chicks constantly.)

 

[WalnutTree]

Alright, update! I'll be building my brooder into the wall of the shed! The shed was used as a pigeon coop for the last owners, but after reflooring, painting, and tiling, it was then used as just a playhouse for visiting kids, and that was for around 4 years. Now, 5 years later, we sprayed the place of spiders (doesn't smell, and not harmful), getting rid of the spider webs, wonky old table, drawings on the chalkboard, and covering holes. Phew. Moss off of the roof, ferns trimmed.
Before:

After:

It's not a huge change, and it's definitely not done yet! I'll update when it is fully built!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Three without the top vent is what I keep birds in normally. 6 is a common rabbit hutch design so that should be fine too