Chicken Math Got Me Bad....

[Sefirothe]

Home from work and Eleven is back to normal with a few scrapes that should heal no issues. Whew....

This is River, she's supposed to be a Welsummer but dang if she isnt looking just like the bat shit crazy brown leghorns I got with my last batch of chicks. Fingers crossed there wasnt a mix up at the hatchery.

And Susie, the cream crested legbar. She was the last to get named and my mom's favorite from this batch so now my mom has a chicken named after her.

She's got the itty bittiest little crest!

 

[Sefirothe]

I think I’m going to ditch this dog crate when this group of chicks is done needing a brooder. I don’t like how the floor is a wire grid as well as everywhere else. The grid is raised up so a plastic tray can be slid underneath to catch any droppings if a dog was kept in it.

But every time the chicks excavate down to the wire I get worried they will injure their feet on it.

Plus I think I’d like one that is able to be opened at the top too. And bigger so I don’t have to zip tie wire panels to one end to make a bigger space.

I picked up this crate at a yard sale for only $3 so it’s not a huge loss.

 

[AnneGirlGG]

I think I’m going to ditch this dog crate when this group of chicks is done needing a brooder. I don’t like how the floor is a wire grid as well as everywhere else. The grid is raised up so a plastic tray can be slid underneath to catch any droppings if a dog was kept in it.

But every time the chicks excavate down to the wire I get worried they will injure their feet on it.

Plus I think I’d like one that is able to be opened at the top too. And bigger so I don’t have to zip tie wire panels to one end to make a bigger space.

I picked up this crate at a yard sale for only $3 so it’s not a huge loss.


View attachment 4247026

I use a toddler playpen tent. It's one of those pop-up fabric and mesh ones. It's not the strongest thing ever, and I don't think using it outside would be a very good idea because it's so lightweight amd not secure from predators. But I'm currently brooding inside. It's set up on the floor in a spare room, and it's done great through 3 broods now. It's plenty big enough for the brooder plate, dishes, roosting bars, and babies. I've had 7, then 5, and now 14 in it without issue. I use horse bedding pellets as the litter. So they add weight to it. It was about $40 on Amazon.

 

[red horse ranch]

I think I’m going to ditch this dog crate when this group of chicks is done needing a brooder. I don’t like how the floor is a wire grid as well as everywhere else. The grid is raised up so a plastic tray can be slid underneath to catch any droppings if a dog was kept in it.

But every time the chicks excavate down to the wire I get worried they will injure their feet on it.

Plus I think I’d like one that is able to be opened at the top too. And bigger so I don’t have to zip tie wire panels to one end to make a bigger space.

I picked up this crate at a yard sale for only $3 so it’s not a huge loss.


View attachment 4247026

I use a wire crate like yours but I put old towels on the floor of it. Yes, they need to be changed every few days but I keep a supply of old towels just for that purpose. When I get several dirty ones I will throw them in the washer with a little bleach.

 

[Sefirothe]

I use a toddler playpen tent. It's one of those pop-up fabric and mesh ones. It's not the strongest thing ever, and I don't think using it outside would be a very good idea because it's so lightweight amd not secure from predators. But I'm currently brooding inside. It's set up on the floor in a spare room, and it's done great through 3 broods now. It's plenty big enough for the brooder plate, dishes, roosting bars, and babies. I've had 7, then 5, and now 14 in it without issue. I use horse bedding pellets as the litter. So they add weight to it. It was about $40 on Amazon.

That’s what I used for my very first chicks. We didn’t have the coop ready at the time so they stayed in a pop up playpen thing with shavings in the bottom in my basement.

It did work out really good at the time!

Now tho, I prefer brooding on the floor of the coop so integration can start from day one. The brooder still needs to be temporary but have more structure to it to withstand the curiosity of the adults and littles.

 

[Sefirothe]

I use a wire crate like yours but I put old towels on the floor of it. Yes, they need to be changed every few days but I keep a supply of old towels just for that purpose. When I get several dirty ones I will throw them in the washer with a little bleach.

I’ll be the first to admit that I take the lazy way out when ever possible! Brooding on the floor of our coop means no cleaning needed. Just stir the wood pellets around a bit if the chicks haven’t done it themselves.

Well…and clean out and refill feeders/waterers as needed.

 

[AnneGirlGG]

That’s what I used for my very first chicks. We didn’t have the coop ready at the time so they stayed in a pop up playpen thing with shavings in the bottom in my basement.

It did work out really good at the time!

View attachment 4247041


Now tho, I prefer brooding on the floor of the coop so integration can start from day one. The brooder still needs to be temporary but have more structure to it to withstand the curiosity of the adults and littles.


View attachment 4247043

That is ultimately what I want to do as well. We're already in the planning phase of building a second coop, and it'll have a brooding area incorporated within it.

 

[Sefirothe]

That is ultimately what I want to do as well. We're already in the planning phase of building a second coop, and it'll have a brooding area incorporated within it.

I thought about doing something more permanent under the poop shelf. But I’d rather leave the floor open as much as possible when not brooding. Maybe if I had chicks more often. Had more room. Could have more chickens.

Ahhhh….some day I’ll have my little hobby farm and will be drowning in chickens!!

 

[AnneGirlGG]

I thought about doing something more permanent under the poop shelf. But I’d rather leave the floor open as much as possible when not brooding. Maybe if I had chicks more often. Had more room. Could have more chickens.

Ahhhh….some day I’ll have my little hobby farm and will be drowning in chickens!!

You and me both! We've got the space, we've just got to build the coops and runs. Amd to bolster them to stand up to every predator known to man that we've got out here, it costs a lot! So one step at a time.

 

[Sefirothe]

I’m pretty happy with my set up, it’s about as close to Fort Knox as it can get. Pretty much I’d only worry about the occasional bear that we get wandering thru.

I just wish it was BIGGER.

Flat land is at a premium here tho.