Chicks coming next week - brooder question

[Jhuff8181]

Hi,

I have 16 chicks coming from Ideal next week, 8 Barred Rocks and 8 New Hampshire Reds. My brooder is 3 feet by 5 feet. It seems a little big. I was thinking about using a divider to reduce the size, then remove it as they grow. How much room do they need to begin with?

John

 

[Snakeoil]

Here is what I use

 

[My chicken is cuter]

Each chick needs about 1/2 square foot until they are 2 weeks old. You could section part of it off, but remember to make it a little big just in case they send some packing peanuts.

 

[azelgin]

3 X 5 may seem big now, but by 6~8 weeks it will be wall to wall chickens. We raised 25 in a 4 X 5 and it was too small. We have ten in there now. I have the light (250w) in the center to one side and they can roam the whole thing. This lets them pick the area where the temperature suits them best and I don't have to worry about them getting cooked. The light is also on a thermostat and I'll turn it down as time goes by and they need less heat.

 

[cmom]

Here is a thread with tons of pics of many BYC members brooders. Enjoy.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

 

[Zahboo]

I think you should build a divider, but wait until you get the chicks and see how they react before you put it in. It may seem big, but you don't know about any extras!