Brooder vs brooder house

[doublecrossranch]

what is the difference? I’m trying to integrate my 1.5 and 2.5 week old chicks. I have been putting the chicks in a play yard during the day (when it’s not raining). Then back in the brooder in the commissary building at night. We recently found a black snake in our coop. Someone here suggested a brooder house. How is it different?

 

[ValerieJ]

I suppose a brooder is anything from a large tote to a play pen. Here is an article on a brooder house:
https://www.achickandhergarden.com/how-to-build-a-brooder-house-and-why-you-need-one/

 

[doublecrossranch]

How does the brooder house keep the chicks safe from snakes during the day?

 

[ValerieJ]

How does the brooder house keep the chicks safe from snakes during the day?

I don't think it would unless the brooder house was closed with the chicks inside.

 

[doublecrossranch]

I don't think it would unless the brooder house was closed with the chicks inside.

That wouldn’t help integration. Lol. I’m trying take advice from several articles and it’s making my head spin.
Thank you

 

[ValerieJ]

That wouldn’t help integration. Lol. I’m trying take advice from several articles and it’s making my head spin.
Thank you

I know what you mean. You will find varying opinions and then have to decide what to do for yourself. I don't have pesky snakes around here, so I haven't even tried to figure out how to keep them out of my pen. I think if you use 1/2" hardware cloth around your chicken run and coop, that would keep the snakes out of that area, but this wouldn't solve any free range time. Free ranging comes with risk.
I brood my chicks in my garage under super safe conditions until they are 8-10 weeks old. Then I put them out in a run and coop adjacent to my main run and coop for a month or two. They are nearly full sized before integration with the big girls.

In my brooder right now I have 3 chicks that are 4 weeks old and 1 that is 3 weeks old. They have been together since the beginning. I actually got the 3 older ones to help the lone egg hatch. They have gotten along well and I think that little one is going to end up quite tough because she is always trying to keep up.

Your original question was what the difference was between a brooder and a brooder house. If now you are asking how to integrate, I would suggest just giving it a go. they are not far apart in age.

 

[doublecrossranch]

I know what you mean. You will find varying opinions and then have to decide what to do for yourself. I don't have pesky snakes around here, so I haven't even tried to figure out how to keep them out of my pen. I think if you use 1/2" hardware cloth around your chicken run and coop, that would keep the snakes out of that area, but this wouldn't solve any free range time. Free ranging comes with risk.
I brood my chicks in my garage under super safe conditions until they are 8-10 weeks old. Then I put them out in a run and coop adjacent to my main run and coop for a month or two. They are nearly full sized before integration with the big girls.

In my brooder right now I have 3 chicks that are 4 weeks old and 1 that is 3 weeks old. They have been together since the beginning. I actually got the 3 older ones to help the lone egg hatch. They have gotten along well and I think that little one is going to end up quite tough because she is always trying to keep up.

Your original question was what the difference was between a brooder and a brooder house. If now you are asking how to integrate, I would suggest just giving it a go. they are not far apart in age.

It’s a little of both and more. On another post https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bad-bad-snake.1329959/ someone said I should use a brooder house to keep my chicks safe from snakes and to integrate them. I wrapped my play yard in hardware fabric to make it safer. Haha. It’s been pouring rain the last few days so they were excited to go out of the brooder.

 

[ValerieJ]

It’s a little of both and more. On another post https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bad-bad-snake.1329959/ someone said I should use a brooder house to keep my chicks safe from snakes and to integrate them. I wrapped my play yard in hardware fabric to make it safer. Haha. It’s been pouring rain the last few days so they were excited to go out of the brooder.

That looks pretty safe to me.