Chicks outgrowing brooder cage

[saellis]

I have six one-week-old Australorp chicks in a plastic bin for a brooder cage that they will soon outgrow. I bought a second bin with plans to keep three birds in each but now I'm worried that I'm creating two separate flocks that will not integrate well once they are in the coop. Is this a valid concern or will they know each other from hearing each other even though they cannot see each other in their separate bins?

 

[kacklinkelly]

I can not answer the question relating to 2 sep flocks. However, I thought I would share what I did when ours outgrew the 1st brooder.
If you are interested. I found a LARGE see through plastic tote at Goodwill with a broken handle for 3 dollars. I cut a hole in the lid, attached some chicken wire with duct tape, bought a 1 dollar squeeze clamp from lowes to attach the lid to the broken handle and my problem was solved temporarily until I could think of the next outgrow (which ended up being our large dog crate with cardboard and chicken wire attached. I was really amazed at how fast these little fuzzy things grow. I feel like I was creating a new temp home every 2 weeks until they ended up finally in their tractor. Hoping you find a good solution for yourself.

 

[stake]

I also started mine in a laundry basket which was good for the first week...I then moved them into a dog crate (the largest)...they are only using 1/2 right now...but I can expand their space quickly....(I also have six chicks) from my limited knowledge, I think it's be preferable to keep them together...

 

[fishermans wife]

Definately keep them together. It is amazing how fast they "forget" each other, and then you will have integrating problems. I too am amazed at how fast the little buggers grow out of everything and you have to get creative....appliance boxes, rabbit hutches, playpens, etc!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Yes, you definitely want to keep them together! As fisherman's wife said, appliance boxes make great brooders. Or get a couple of large, toilet tissue size boxes from the store, cut the ends off and tape them together. There's all kinds of free or inexpensive stuff you can find to make a brooder that will get you through to when they are old enough to go into their coop.

 

[saellis]

Thanks for the input. I think I'm going to try to make a custom cardboard brooder that can fit in the bathroom shower where the plastic bin is now and also take up some of the bathroom floor space. Some kind of "L" shape.

 

[saellis]

OK so I bought another plastic bin but connected them with a tunnel made from a cardboard box and duct tape. Food and water are in one bin but there's plenty of space in the other bin for a chick who needs to get away from the rest of the flock for a while. It's working great. The girls eat and relax in the one box and have fun scratching in the other one. Just in time since they seemed to be getting on each other's nerves in the smaller setup and I was afraid they might go canibal.

 

[Syowell]

I can not answer the question relating to 2 sep flocks. However, I thought I would share what I did when ours outgrew the 1st brooder.
If you are interested. I found a LARGE see through plastic tote at Goodwill with a broken handle for 3 dollars. I cut a hole in the lid, attached some chicken wire with duct tape, bought a 1 dollar squeeze clamp from lowes to attach the lid to the broken handle and my problem was solved temporarily until I could think of the next outgrow (which ended up being our large dog crate with cardboard and chicken wire attached. I was really amazed at how fast these little fuzzy things grow. I feel like I was creating a new temp home every 2 weeks until they ended up finally in their tractor. Hoping you find a good solution for yourself.

Good ideas, thank you for the suggestions! I will use our large dog crate!!