reinkemeyer
In the Brooder
- Jul 6, 2022
- 1
- 15
- 21
I am a kindergarten teacher in Missouri. My chicken journey started about seven years ago when I hatched my first batch of chicks with my students. It was so exciting! Well, I quickly learned that the health and quality of the eggs (and chicks) we were provided with were less than ideal. I knew that I wanted to try this experience with my students again, but I also knew that I wanted to do it better. The next year, I got my first batch of fertile eggs (buffs) and an incubator of my own. I successfully hatched out four baby birds while converting an old shed into a chicken coop. After my kids got to experience the joys of baby chicks, the birds came home with me and that's how my flock started. Over the years, my chicken operation has grown. I integrate what I do at home with my students through photos, stories, and feathered visitors. The teachers who still hatch using the eggs and supplies the school district provides often come to me when they are unsure about a chick's health. I have a brooding box and chick first aid kit set up in my classroom full-time because I never know when a chick (or other small critter) will be dropped off in need of care. Right now, I am redoing that good-old shed I converted so many years ago and watching a broody hen sit a nest for the first time. Life is good!
This is the outside of my 8'x8' coop. I'm still working on painting it as time and weather allow. There are 2 runs coming out of the coop (you can see the edges of them in the photo). One run is made with hooped cattle panels covered in hard-wire. The other is made out of dog kennel panels with hardwire covering the top. Each run is about 8'x20'. The right-hand door stays open the majority of the time (held open with an eye hook and carabiner clips) and has a wire-mesh screen from floor to ceiling. My chickens free-range the majority of the day, coming in at night.
When you walk in the coop right now, the left half is the adult zone. I recently took everything out and started from scratch since my first attempt was a hot mess (poor planning and utilization of space). I used joist brackets and 2x4 boards to create the roosts (I used flat-ended screws that went through the entire wall and bolted them on the outside for strength and stability). I installed the nesting boxes using regular wood screws. The feeder hangs from the ceiling (I drilled a couple small holes and wired a chain up there.) I also hung a battery operated lantern that I can turn on when I do a head-count at night.
The right half of the coop is partitioned off and is set up for my brooding hen and her future clutch. My plan is to confine mama and babies in here for a few days while everyone adjusts to their new roles in life. Then, I'll move the partition so that they can access the back run without being able to free-range, yet. The partition is attached to the wall on either end using eye hooks and carabiner clips. I can reposition or remove the partition as needed. If this setup works, I want to use it for chicks I hatch in an incubator (I would add a shelter for the babies with a hole too small for the adults to access).
This is the outside of my 8'x8' coop. I'm still working on painting it as time and weather allow. There are 2 runs coming out of the coop (you can see the edges of them in the photo). One run is made with hooped cattle panels covered in hard-wire. The other is made out of dog kennel panels with hardwire covering the top. Each run is about 8'x20'. The right-hand door stays open the majority of the time (held open with an eye hook and carabiner clips) and has a wire-mesh screen from floor to ceiling. My chickens free-range the majority of the day, coming in at night.
When you walk in the coop right now, the left half is the adult zone. I recently took everything out and started from scratch since my first attempt was a hot mess (poor planning and utilization of space). I used joist brackets and 2x4 boards to create the roosts (I used flat-ended screws that went through the entire wall and bolted them on the outside for strength and stability). I installed the nesting boxes using regular wood screws. The feeder hangs from the ceiling (I drilled a couple small holes and wired a chain up there.) I also hung a battery operated lantern that I can turn on when I do a head-count at night.
The right half of the coop is partitioned off and is set up for my brooding hen and her future clutch. My plan is to confine mama and babies in here for a few days while everyone adjusts to their new roles in life. Then, I'll move the partition so that they can access the back run without being able to free-range, yet. The partition is attached to the wall on either end using eye hooks and carabiner clips. I can reposition or remove the partition as needed. If this setup works, I want to use it for chicks I hatch in an incubator (I would add a shelter for the babies with a hole too small for the adults to access).
