Brooder within coop size gap for chicks?

[SamCO]

I am currently in the process of adding a brooder space inside my coop. The front panel will be removable so it will only be used when breeding chicks or needing to isolate a hen etc. On the side I want to leave a gap underneath the 2 x 4 where chicks can go in and out but the older hens cannot get under it. I will block this when I don’t want chicks moving back-and-forth. But once the chicks are integrated in with the big girls I want them to be able to have a place to get safely. What size gap is big enough that the chicks can get under but the older girls can’t. Right now I have it at 6 inches. Is this too high?

 

[NatJ]

Can you make it adjustable?

I don't know what size is right, and it might change anyway-- if you get small hens, or hens that are clever about squeezing under, or chicks that grow big at an early age.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It could also get blocked by shavings building up from all the happy scratching chickens do.
If you did an adjustable sliding door above the 2x4 they should have no issue hopping over the board to go in and out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

6" is too high, I definitely have standard size birds that could fit through. I use bricks to approximate a chick, and prop up chicken wire to make a chick-sized gap. But good points about about the bedding potentially changing the gap size, so adjustable is probably the way to go in this set up.

 

[Ja Mee]

I am so glad that you posted this question. I don't have an answer for you, but I am in the process of doing a similar build in our new coop, and appreciate this new idea to work into my plan.

I am currently in the process of adding a brooder space inside my coop. The front panel will be removable so it will only be used when breeding chicks or needing to isolate a hen etc. On the side I want to leave a gap underneath the 2 x 4 where chicks can go in and out but the older hens cannot get under it. I will block this when I don’t want chicks moving back-and-forth. But once the chicks are integrated in with the big girls I want them to be able to have a place to get safely. What size gap is big enough that the chicks can get under but the older girls can’t. Right now I have it at 6 inches. Is this too high?

 

[SamCO]

It’s all finished now. I ended up putting three 2x4s on the side, and can remove the middle one so the chicks can go in and out when they’re ready. Then I added an automatic door to an enclosed area within the run so now they can go in and out next to, but separate from the big girls. Going to work on integration soon now that the youngest are over 4 weeks I’m still putting them inside the coop at night since they aren’t going in on their own yet. I wanted to build something that I can use for isolation, chicks, etc that is a more permanent part of the coop. Pretty satisfied with how it all turned out.