A little history...
About six years ago we got chicks and raised them through their entire lives until they didn't lay so we got rid of them last fall. So we currently have no birds. We are getting six more chicks in May. We have a coop that is four by six with a covered run already. The first time we brooded our chicks in a cardboard box in the house. This time we would like to brood them outdoors. We read an article recently on this site that talked about starting outdoors and with good views all around the brooder so that is my inspiration to starting outdoors.
Is there any reason we can't just brood them from the start outside in the coop? It has electricity. Or should we at least give them a couple weeks on a covered porch or inside the house? We have cats who roam the house and covered porch btw...
I'm trying to plan ahead and build something if need be. My biggest concern about starting them in the coop is that we won't visit it as much to check on their health if they are not on the porch. Lets be honest, they are insanely cute as chicks too. My curiosity to start in the coop is to avoid building something new.
Thanks,
About six years ago we got chicks and raised them through their entire lives until they didn't lay so we got rid of them last fall. So we currently have no birds. We are getting six more chicks in May. We have a coop that is four by six with a covered run already. The first time we brooded our chicks in a cardboard box in the house. This time we would like to brood them outdoors. We read an article recently on this site that talked about starting outdoors and with good views all around the brooder so that is my inspiration to starting outdoors.
Is there any reason we can't just brood them from the start outside in the coop? It has electricity. Or should we at least give them a couple weeks on a covered porch or inside the house? We have cats who roam the house and covered porch btw...
I'm trying to plan ahead and build something if need be. My biggest concern about starting them in the coop is that we won't visit it as much to check on their health if they are not on the porch. Lets be honest, they are insanely cute as chicks too. My curiosity to start in the coop is to avoid building something new.
Thanks,