Grow Out Pen Size

[enggass]

Ok, so I have 36 - 3 weeks olds. Currently in a 3'x4' grow out pen in my garage... Will this suffice until they are 6 weeks when my coop is done and I can move them out doors?

 

[donrae]

That's going to be too tight IMO. Any reason you can't move them out sooner?

 

[azygous]

Donrae's right. You need to step up the progress on that coop and run or your chicks are going to mutiny. It ain't gonna be pretty, either.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I once kept 28 chicks in a 3’ x 5’ brooder until they were 5 weeks old. These were mostly female full-sized fowl chicks, only five males. Another time I kept 21 mostly male chicks in there until they were 5 weeks old. In both cases they were OK but it was time to let them out. That brooder was getting really full. I would not have wanted to go another week. I agree with the others, a 3’ x 4’ isn’t going to cut it no matter their sex or anything else, not with 36 chicks.

I don’t know what your garage or brooder look like, but one way to expand the brooder size is to get an appliance box and attach it to your brooder. They will be able to fly out of it so you’ll need a top, so maybe leave a window open and cover it with wire so they have light. Tape some boxes together if you need to make it bigger. A store that sells appliances like refrigerators, freezers, or ovens may have something free.

In an ideal world that coop would be ready and they could go out earlier. (Hint, hint for other people reading this) If you have power so you could keep an area warm they could go out now, even in Maine weather. But you are not in that ideal world and have to deal with the current situation. I know how building schedules can get messed up, either weather or just that things happen. You have a situation you need to deal with somehow. Expanding the brooder may be your best way to do that. Good luck!

 

[aart]

Ditto Tres^^^