Does this sound ok, for my chicks

[ange]

I will be getting chicks soon. Buying them somewhere, not sure where, but for housing, I am wondering what opinions are on my ideas. I think know someone who will lend me a cat carrier, that is white, i think resin material and has openings on the side for air, vents, and place in there , but cannot do a heat lamp that way, unless the top comes off, i need to check on that, or a small dog crate, if i can find one., and place heat lamp on top of crate with a clamp, or i have 2 galvanized tubs, one steel and one enamel porcleain, and place plywood on top,l since it has no top, and clamp heat lamp to that. What do you think would be best or / also other ideas. I would love to see pictures of other chicks homes. thanks

 

[gryeyes]

I used a 54 gallon Rubbermaid storage bin, and hung the heat lamp from a securely mounted expansion rod (like a shower rod). That way I could raise or lower the heat lamp as necessary, especially as they grew and needed less heat. The Rubbermaid bin is SO easy to clean, is light enough to drag outside and over to the compost heap when doing a full change out of the pine shavings, and then hose it out and let it dry. (I did that when I started to let them outside for short "day trips.") I kept this brooder in my bathroom, so when the chicks started getting out of it, it was easy to clean up after them, too. But the bin was large enough for my small flock o' chicks that they really only escaped when they were practicing jumps or flying. They perched on the rim of the bin and generally hopped back inside of it, instead of out into the bathroom. Now and then I found one outside that didn't know how to get back in again, but by then they were old enough they didn't perish from a couple hours of being away from the lamp. (Actually, I hung the lamp at one end of the oblong bin so some heat "splashed" a bit outside of the bin, so any escapees could huddle there.)

I highly recommend a storage bin like that; they are relatively inexpensive, easy to clean, light enough to move around, and have pretty high sides.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I also used a rubbermaid bin. It was very easy and inexpensive. Check my BYC page for some pictures.

 

[ange]

do you have to cover the rubbermaid bin, so the chicks do not get out, if so , right away cover it or, after a few weeks. I was thinking of covering it with window screens. Also how would you attach feeders to it so chicks do not poop on it. And old old before you can bring them outside into coop with other hens. AND when will they start to lay eggs. I orginally wanted to buy laying hens, that are now producing b ut am afraid the other hens will peck them to death, so am goinf chick way, does that make sense

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I covered mine right away because I just wasn't sure how soon they would be able to hop out. I started out by just putting the feeder and the water directly on the floor. When they started to get a little bigger I put them on a block of 2x4 to raise them up a bit. If they got a little poop on the feeder/waterer I just cleaned it. As I recall they were about 6 weeks old when I moved them to the coop and they started laying at about 4-5 months old. My biggest challenge was regulating the heat since the temperature varied so much in my garage depending on the outside temp.

 

[ange]

great idea on the 2x4 block of wood.

 

[prov31gal]

yep , rumbbermaid tub is great, window screen sounds great to.we clamped the lamp to a bookshelf next to the tub, and raised it when needed. they wont be able to jump out of the tub for probably 2 weeks, or more, so the screen isnt a necessity right away, unless you have cats or dogs or little people with grabby fingers, then its an immediate must.

 

[donnavee]

I also used a rubbermaid bin. It was very easy and inexpensive. Check my BYC page for some pictures.

mikecnorthwest - great pics of your brooder. What kind of bedding are you using - it looks like some kind of pellets? Last year, I used pine shavings after a couple of weeks but they still wanted to eat them. No one died, but I sure worried a lot.​

 

[Bassleg]

You can also use a big cardboard box and lay a piece chicken wire over the top and I use pine bedding in the bottom.

 

[Tikka]

This is for 8 babies. We started out day one in a large cardboard box with wood shavings but my husband read they shavings were bad so we moved them to a 66 qt (yes, quart) with paper towels which is okay for now, but we will probably need something bigger by the end of next week. We already bought a smaller waterer in order to fit into the small tub. . We will probably make a 4'x4' plank box with chicken wire sides. I like the tub for now because it conserves heat. I think we will also make a chicken wire lid for the current tub, just in case. They can sure jump when they want to.

2 hours later:
I just went and made the lid. They seem to get along okay in the space that they have.