- Jun 3, 2021
- 8,816
- 83,561
- 1,206
And they can still see/be seen by the bigs. I went with the tote because I already had it and was using it as a brooder anyway.Depends on what you are asking for.
If the chicks fit through - then they are too wide.Most are about 1.5" apart. Honestly, I just watch the others for the first few days. If the chicks can get out - they can also get back in! I just would want to make sure no one targets them. For my present broody with 4 chicks, I had some small fencing panels (12"x18") that were designed for an exercise pen for a guinea pig (cavey)...I bungeed them to the bottom of the dog exercise pen that the plastic dog crate was in for the first few days. Gave everyone a chance to get to know each other before I removed them. Their food was in the pen with mom. They are 2.5 weeks old - and I open the pen up so mom AND them intermingle. However, I had an older exercise pen that was here when we moved. A little worse for the wear....but I put it around a shrub I was trying to grow in the pen. Long story short - it's wires are 2" apart, so the littles still fit. I put the started food in their for them (so they eat what is appropriate - not adult's 'all flock' - which the feeders are too high for them to reach anyways - AND so my numerous bigs don't eat all the starter feed on them!
My 'new' DC mom:
View attachment 3566081View attachment 3566085
I picked this up for free at the transfer station a few weeks ago - wasn't sure if I would use it - but now I am REALLY glad I picked it up!
View attachment 3566083View attachment 3566084
@rural mouse : This is my tub. I used a box cutter for the 'window', and then heated a nail for the holes for the zip ties. I used a carpenter's square and scored it first, then cut - but one side I was impatient and didn't score the side first - it shows.
I used one of the cavey pen panels instead of wire - so I didn't have to deal with sharp edges of the fencing. The panel wires are very close, and in addition to the wire around the outer edge, it has horizonal bars 2" in from both top & bottom. I don't yet have an access hole because if I put it on the pen under the roof, I need it to be rat safe. I got a tub with latching ends and I will put 2 bungies across the top as well.
I still like the medium plastic dog crates best - and it is a tad bit bigger than this tote - but, I wasn't expecting so many broodies - and it will work for about a week. I can always 'move them up' and put the next set of momma and hatched babies in here. (at least with a momma, I don't need a heater!)
I wasn't worried about rats as haven't seen any around. Pack rats are another story, but they're not in the coop.
