Design me a brooder/grow out room!

[CMarshall14]

My husband is going to build me a 10'x10' "brooder shed" if you will, because he's made the garage off limits for my chickens .
And thats the dimensions we have the materials for.

In my head I'm thinking there will be a dividing wall in the middle covered in chicken wire with a door, to make a 5'x10' room for grow outs before they're ready to go to the big coop, or for select breeding pairs, or a safe space for any broody hens.

The other half will have a wide door entry to pull the wheelbarrow in for cleaning, and will also have the brooder bins, windows, feed storage, etc.

The building won't have heat, but will have electricity for the heat lamps (or brooder plates) and I'm hoping to make it pretty tight with insulation and proper ventilation at the top in order to use it for chicks even in the winter months.

Would love anyones input, if you had a room like this, what would you add? What would you avoid? How would you heat the brooders? How much space would you devote to the grow out pen? Should I divide it into 2 pens instead?
I'm thinking of using a linoleum floor, and painting the walls white, but I'm not sure if there's a safe paint? I'm even open to decoration suggestions!

 

[cavemanrich]

Question,,,, Do you have a coop and chickens already?
How many chicks do you intend to raise at a time?? approximate number.

Reason I ask,,,, is ; if small amounts, then opt for large plastic tubs, instead of large open area. Then when feathered out remove from tubs.

Linoleum on floor is fine. Any paint you purchase these days, are safe. No lead in them anymore. I would opt for an exterior grade paint even though its inside coop. Will hold up longer/better.

I suggest you get proper amount of windows installed for natural light, as well as open during hot weather for cross ventilation.

Ask anything else you would like ideas, or advice about. The BYC community is more than willing to share their knowledge , and experience.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[CMarshall14]

Question,,,, Do you have a coop and chickens already?
How many chicks do you intend to raise at a time?? approximate number.

Reason I ask,,,, is ; if small amounts, then opt for large plastic tubs, instead of large open area. Then when feathered out remove from tubs.

Thanks for all your input! I actually have been using the tote method for several years now and plan to do so in this brooder shed at least temporarily . They're stackable, movable, and can be hosed out, which is why I use it. My issue has mostly been what do with the chicks when they start crowding the totes, since I plan on hatching/ brooding a lot more from now on. They are usually not anywhere near ready to do away with the heat still before they outgrow the totes.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Just know a 10x10 will be much smaller in person than on paper. Ran into that with my 8x10 shed

 

[aart]

I'm hoping to make it pretty tight with insulation and proper ventilation at the top

This is kind of contradictory.
Insulation doesn't do much if you have adequate ventilation.

Do you have a coop and chickens already?
How many chicks do you intend to raise at a time?? approximate number.

Good Questions!^^

Welcome to BYC! @CMarshall14
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

Howe that fixed the image fail.

Oh, and.....think about this type of set up for brooding and integrating chicks young.
3 setups here, 2 in links near top then mine:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[CMarshall14]

Insulation doesn't do much if you have adequate ventilation.

Good point. I guess I'm trying to say more so that we're going to make it tight enough at the doors and windows to where its not drafty. Which is what I struggled with in our last build for our goat barn a few years back. I'm hoping to be able to use it for chicks even in the winter and worry about drafts.

Welcome to BYC! @CMarshall14
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2524450

Also thanks for the welcome and the tip, ill update that! I'm in the midwest of USA.

 

[CMarshall14]

Question,,,, Do you have a coop and chickens already?
How many chicks do you intend to raise at a time??

Oh also yes, I have a 10x20 coop with a 50x100 fenced area. I only have 5 chickens out there right now, I'm wanting to get 2 or 3 different breeds that are less common in this area plan on raising maybe 20 chicks at a time several times a year, rotating between different chicken breeds, coturnix quail, and turkeys.

 

[CMarshall14]

Just know a 10x10 will be much smaller in person than on paper. Ran into that with my 8x10 shed

This is accurate but 10 x 10 is what we have the materials for. But it's not going to be for my grown chickens at least. They have a 10x20.

 

[NatJ]

You could make shelves along one wall, maybe two feet wide, with wire-mesh doors along the front. That way you could brood one set of chicks at floor level, another age a waist level, and another at shoulder level.

If this was in the room where the bigger chicks are the floor, then you could be raising the younger babies on one or two upper levels without taking up any more floor space

Of course such shelves (or cages or cupboards or however you think of them) could also used for broody hens or isolating injured birds. It might be easiest if you could take the fronts completely off for cleaning, and maybe have the option to divide into different length pens depending on what you need at the time.

 

[CMarshall14]

You could make shelves along one wall, maybe two feet wide, with wire-mesh doors along the front. That way you could brood one set of chicks at floor level, another age a waist level, and another at shoulder level.

If this was in the room where the bigger chicks are the floor, then you could be raising the younger babies on one or two upper levels without taking up any more floor space

Of course such shelves (or cages or cupboards or however you think of them) could also used for broody hens or isolating injured birds. It might be easiest if you could take the fronts completely off for cleaning, and maybe have the option to divide into different length pens depending on what you need at the time.

I see what you're describing, I've seen some similar ideas on pinterest I think. I can't decide if I should put them on the caged grow out side or on the walk in/ entry side. I'm thinking I'll draw up a layout today! If I do something like that I'm wondering what system I should use for easy clean up.