We will be getting our newly hatched chicks (from a hatchery) in mid February and are making plans for brooding them. We don't have any chickens right now, so we are building a brand new coop and run. We're going to brood outdoor from day 1 and use a heating pad rather than a heat lamp and I'm wondering if it would be ok to just brood right in the new coop since it is vacant. I can see how it would be important to have a separate brooder if there were grown hens or roosters in the run but don't see a need to have a separate brooder when the coop seems acceptable and is unoccupied anyway. Am I missing something? The coop/run we will have will basically be this one except with a see through roof over the coop to let in light. We haven't had chickens since I was in high school (almost 25 years ago) and a mama hen always raised them to this will be my first time brooding. Thanks for any help!