First Time Egg Candler Scared!

[WalnutHill]

EVERYTHING I see now, my mind seems to wander to "how could I use that for the ducks or chicks?" LOL So you aren't alone.

I then thought of scattering them around a turkey pen for individual broody houses. They're cheap, easy, low maintenance, decent insulating value, well ventilated, mold and mildew resistant...

 

[WVduckchick]

That is my exact brooder setup. The tub inside, and the coop outside. That prefab coop makes an awesome brooder

Glad to hear it cause I'm moving mine out to the coop next Monday! Lol

 

[scflock]

Glad to hear it cause I'm moving mine out to the coop next Monday! Lol

I start them for 3 or 4 days inside in the tub. I like the prefab coop for a brooder, because as they get older, they learn to use the ramp to roost at night. By the time they move to the big coop, or are sold, they know the routine

 

[WVduckchick]

I then thought of scattering them around a turkey pen for individual broody houses.  They're cheap, easy, low maintenance, decent insulating value, well ventilated, mold and mildew resistant...

If you can find them cheap, then yea it sounds perfect! I bet they would even like it!

 

[WVduckchick]

I start them for 3 or 4 days inside in the tub. I like the prefab coop for a brooder, because as they get older, they learn to use the ramp to roost at night. By the time they move to the big coop, or are sold, they know the routine

How many does it house well as a brooder, and how long will my 10 be able to stay in it? I moved my last 3 to it at 3-weeks, and out at 6-weeks. My new 10 will be 2 weeks old this weekend. I haven't moved them to it yet because we are going to be gone from home this weekend. Do you have a heat lamp in it? I hung a small one up in the peak of the roof. But its starting to get warm enough at night now.

 

[scflock]

How many does it house well as a brooder, and how long will my 10 be able to stay in it? I moved my last 3 to it at 3-weeks, and out at 6-weeks. My new 10 will be 2 weeks old this weekend. I haven't moved them to it yet because we are going to be gone from home this weekend. Do you have a heat lamp in it? I hung a small one up in the peak of the roof. But its starting to get warm enough at night now.

I kept 12 in it until they were feathered last month. Right now I have 19 cuckoo marans that are 2 weeks old, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to split them up in a week or two. This batch had a lot of girls in it, so I'm growing them out to sell as started pullets. Your 10 should be fine until they are ready to move for good. I hang a heat lamp the same way, from the roof in the open part by the ramp. The feeder and waterer are under the roost. They stay under the light at night, and during the day they will be all over, upstairs and down. I mounted screws on the side, so during the winter I can hang plywood to cut the cold and drafts. Right now it is wide open. After about week 4, they start sleeping upstairs. I have 2 home made brooders, and this one. This one is my favorite. Like you said, it's not really built well enough to be a full time coop, but it's an awesome brooder.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I kept 12 in it until they were feathered last month. Right now I have 19 cuckoo marans that are 2 weeks old, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to split them up in a week or two. This batch had a lot of girls in it, so I'm growing them out to sell as started pullets. Your 10 should be fine until they are ready to move for good. I hang a heat lamp the same way, from the roof in the open part by the ramp. The feeder and waterer are under the roost. They stay under the light at night, and during the day they will be all over, upstairs and down. I mounted screws on the side, so during the winter I can hang plywood to cut the cold and drafts. Right now it is wide open. After about week 4, they start sleeping upstairs. I have 2 home made brooders, and this one. This one is my favorite. Like you said, it's not really built well enough to be a full time coop, but it's an awesome brooder.

At what ages do you guys generally integrate new chicks to your established flock?

 

[WVduckchick]

I kept 12 in it until they were feathered last month. Right now I have 19 cuckoo marans that are 2 weeks old, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to split them up in a week or two. This batch had a lot of girls in it, so I'm growing them out to sell as started pullets. Your 10 should be fine until they are ready to move for good. I hang a heat lamp the same way, from the roof in the open part by the ramp. The feeder and waterer are under the roost. They stay under the light at night, and during the day they will be all over, upstairs and down. I mounted screws on the side, so during the winter I can hang plywood to cut the cold and drafts. Right now it is wide open. After about week 4, they start sleeping upstairs. I have 2 home made brooders, and this one. This one is my favorite. Like you said, it's not really built well enough to be a full time coop, but it's an awesome brooder.

Great. I'm now very glad that I posted that picture! lol

 

[scflock]

At what ages do you guys generally integrate new chicks to your established flock?

I haven't integrated in years, but the last time I did, I put in 6 new ones at 8 weeks. One was actually pecked to death. The others were fine, but if I ever had to do it again, I would wait longer and integrate more slowly

 

[WalnutHill]

It also depends on the age, breed, and diversity of your existing flock, as well as living quarters.

If you have a flock of red sex links, as I do, and put Barred Rocks or Buff Orpingtons or Easter Eggers or anything that looks different than them, unless the new birds are really tough they will be persecuted perhaps to death. Yet I can take one or a few red sex links of different age and they have no issues as long as they don't run scared.

I find having a mixed flock of colors, ages, and sizes makes adding more less painful, as does integrating on free range where they can keep their distance.