Can I Keep My Brooder Outside?

[TheGnomesMom]

Quick background:

I have 16 chickens right now. We started with 6 chicks (on April 21st). A few weeks later we picked up another on accident (no seriously, she was just hatched and oh so cute). Then a week after that, we rescued 10 more for our friends who had a neighborhood dog that they couldn't keep out of their coop (and he kept eating their chickens). One of their 10 turned out to be a roo so we gave him back to them. Anyway, now we have 16. And two coops. One that we built to house our 6 and one that our friends brought with their chickens that will house 12. So we need to build a new coop. But that's totally unrelated.

**** chicken math.

I ordered 14 more from Ideal and they'll be here on June 21st. Our brooder from our original 6 (and then 1) chicks isn't big enough for these guys so I am going to make another one. But, not having our garage for almost 2 months sucked last time. We live in Texas and it is about 90 during the day and the low each night is 72+. We have a 6ft wooden privacy fence around 1/3 of an acre and have never had a predator problem.

Would it be a bad idea to keep the brooder outside? There is power for the heat lamp. If we do keep the brooder outside, our other 16 are free in the yard from sun up til sundown, would they bother the chicks at all? I would enclose the top of the brooder with poultry netting so that no birds could get in...

 

[TheGnomesMom]

Quick background:

I have 16 chickens right now. We started with 6 chicks (on April 21st). A few weeks later we picked up another on accident (no seriously, she was just hatched and oh so cute). Then a week after that, we rescued 10 more for our friends who had a neighborhood dog that they couldn't keep out of their coop (and he kept eating their chickens). One of their 10 turned out to be a roo so we gave him back to them. Anyway, now we have 16. And two coops. One that we built to house our 6 and one that our friends brought with their chickens that will house 12. So we need to build a new coop. But that's totally unrelated.

**** chicken math.

I ordered 14 more from Ideal and they'll be here on June 21st. Our brooder from our original 6 (and then 1) chicks isn't big enough for these guys so I am going to make another one. But, not having our garage for almost 2 months sucked last time. We live in Texas and it is about 90 during the day and the low each night is 72+. We have a 6ft wooden privacy fence around 1/3 of an acre and have never had a predator problem.

Would it be a bad idea to keep the brooder outside? There is power for the heat lamp. If we do keep the brooder outside, our other 16 are free in the yard from sun up til sundown, would they bother the chicks at all? I would enclose the top of the brooder with poultry netting so that no birds could get in...

Haha BYC censored me

 

[BoonFarm]

As long as they can stay warm, I don't see why it couldn't happen. As extra protection, I would put something up around the brooder area to keep unwanted predators away (you said you didn't have a problem but if/when they find out about your chicks, they will come looking for an easy meal.). My adult chickens free range and sometimes come over to check out the brooder, but it has a top on and the chickens have never tried to get into the brooder.

Pretty much, if you protect the chicks as best as you can, it should be fine.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

My brooders are in a shed, theres a bit more protection then having them right outside but my cats and dog still roam through there. If you were to have a brooder outside I would raise it off the ground a bit, and have some extra protection around it to prevent predators from getting at the chicks. As long as they are kept warm and dry it shouldn't matter that they are outside.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Brooders can be kept in a shed. First time I bought chicks as a teenager I hid them from my family by making a brooder in the hay shed out of bails of hay (for walls), then a metal grate over the top to protect them and set a light on that for warmth I wouldn't suggest doing that now as it's a fire hazard (i got lucky).
It I would put something like bails of hay against the outside of a tote to hold in warmth better, and make sure to cover the top of it so nothing can get in or reach in. Coons will use their hands to pull parts of chicks out.

 

[Daloorashens]

Ditto to the above, and, it sounds like where you live you might actually have to make sure that they don't get too hot, so a place with shade would be ideal, too...

 

[TheGnomesMom]

I think I am going to keep them in our shed then. I forgot about the fact that one of our dogs has a taste for chickens and if the brooder is just on the back porch, she'll be walking by it every time she goes out to go pee. This way I can just shut the shed door when I shut the big coop doors to keep her away from all of the chickens every time she goes out.