Chick brooder ideas?

[rosemarythyme]

That would be a great idea if I had the room for them! I'll definitely keep them in mind for an outdoor brooder setup.

I'm not actually sure how many chicks I'll end up with as I haven't even started incubating the eggs yet. I'm just trying to get a brooder idea before they hatch so I'll have everything ready to go!

They'll also probably only be inside for 2 weeks but definitely no longer then 3 weeks before they'd be moved outside to the coop with heat!

Thanks for the idea

It'd be strictly indoors, I would not suggest cardboard for an outdoor set up.

I see from further down the thread you're thinking of setting fewer eggs. If you really don't have room for the size of brooder needed for the original number of chicks, I'd definitely scale back on the hatch so you don't need as much space. Even for 2 weeks inside, you still need to calculate about 1/2 sq ft per chick, and for a batch of 20-25 or more (or with the mixed standard & bantams), a second brooder regardless of space to reduce risk of chicks crushing each other.

 

[CrazyForMyPeeps802]

It'd be strictly indoors, I would not suggest cardboard for an outdoor set up.

I see from further down the thread you're thinking of setting fewer eggs. If you really don't have room for the size of brooder needed for the original number of chicks, I'd definitely scale back on the hatch so you don't need as much space. Even for 2 weeks inside, you still need to calculate about 1/2 sq ft per chick, and for a batch of 20-25 or more (or with the mixed standard & bantams), a second brooder regardless of space to reduce risk of chicks crushing each other.

By outdoors I meant in a secure shed/coop. I've used cardboard to make my coop smaller before when I was brooding a small number of chicks.

Yes, I'm still in the planning stage. Though I should be getting my eggs later this week! I'm for sure getting 24 silkie eggs. And I'll be setting 6 to 12 of my own eggs. So I'll be setting roughly 36 eggs (when I provided numbers yesterday it was all rough figures) I can't predict how many of those 36 eggs will hatch.

I understand the room chicks need now. Hopefully I'll only have to have them inside for a few days to a week. When I said 3 to 4 weeks yesterday I didn't know if my smaller coop would be empty in time or if the weather would be stable enough for me to feel comfortable with them being in the coop with heat. Now I'm realizing that would be my best option for them. And I will set up and see how stable the temperature is out there in the next few weeks. I've brooded 100+ large fowl chicks at once in this coop years ago. And it holds roughly 75 adult birds comfortable so they'll have plenty of room to grow out there!

I'm sorry if my post came across as a complete beginner or someone who doesn't care about their chicks well-being. I've grown up raising chickens but this is my first time incubating eggs and having to brood a larger number of them indoors. So I was just looking for ideas and seeking advice from others!

Thank you for all your help

 

[NatJ]

If everything goes to plan I'll be hatching these chicks late April. Which would probably mean we'd still have a few nights below freezing. I've raised chicks in this coop last year and they did great but it wasn't until mid May.

The chicks do not care whether they outdoors is below freezing. They do not even care if the far end of their own brooder or coop is below freezing, as long as they can be comfortable under the heat lamp. So when you set up a heat lamp in the coop to see what temperature you can get, go read the thermometer at the coldest time (probably right around sunup), and you might be reassured by what you find

@Ridgerunner has quite a few posts about brooding chicks when temperatures can go below freezing. An example:

I have a 3' x 6' brooder in the coop. One end is heated with a heat lamp, two heat lamps in cold weather. My typical brood is around 20 chicks, I've had as many as 28 in there. In the warm weather it is pretty wide open, in winter I wrap it in clear plastic. It still has decent ventilation up high. In winter I keep one end toasty warm but on some mornings I find ice or frost in the far end. The temperature is certainly not the same all through it. I find chicks straight out of the incubator are very good about managing their heat as long as they have options.

 

[CrazyForMyPeeps802]

The chicks do not care whether they outdoors is below freezing. They do not even care if the far end of their own brooder or coop is below freezing, as long as they can be comfortable under the heat lamp. So when you set up a heat lamp in the coop to see what temperature you can get, go read the thermometer at the coldest time (probably right around sunup), and you might be reassured by what you find

@Ridgerunner has quite a few posts about brooding chicks when temperatures can go below freezing. An example:

Thank you! This is extremely reassuring. I guess I was just worried I'd watch them hatch and then move them out to the coop to soon and something would happen to them. I probably should take the advice I've given to friends when allowing broody hens to hatch eggs. Mama always knows best and as long as they have her for a heat source they should be just fine!

I'll definitely double and triple check the temperature under the heat lamp and at the other end of the coop brooder. But I'm feeling much better about having them out there!


Thanks everyone for all your help
This chicken Mama feels a whole lot better about her decisions