Housing growing chicks (outgrowing brooder)

[Baileybunchx5]

Loooking for ideas for 10 chicks as they grow. They are a week old. I am a first time Chick Mom. I am trying to get ahead of the game before they outgrow the area they are in. They are currently in a wire cage with a solid bottom kinda like a guinea pig or rabbit cage. If anyone has pictures or ideas of bigger brooder areas please reply. I can move them to the garage but right now they are in the basement apartment area we have. I may be able to keep them down there but a different container or maybe a fence type thing. Thank You

 

[imacowgirl2]

I use a 48” dog crate (its about 48” x 32”) until they go out into the coop…I move mine to the coop at 2-3 weeks of age, so much earlier than many; I’m not sure how long this setup would last as the chicks grow.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Some potential ideas: a couple pack n plays, a small tent, a baby crib with weed blocker fabric around the sides and a top, a refrigerator box.

 

[NatJ]

A giant cardboard box can work well.

It could come from a grocery store (like the pallet-sized kind watermelons arrive in), or from an appliance (washing machine, refrigerator, etc), or it can be made by cutting parts of several boxes and taping them together to make one giant box.

Loooking for ideas for 10 chicks as they grow.

Plan on two square feet per chick by the time they are 6-8 weeks old. That would be 20 square feet, or about 4 feet by 5 feet. More space is fine, but much less can cause problems. It's probably easier to make that much space now, rather than trying to do some other size and then upgrade again in a few weeks. Week-old chicks will have a grand time running around in a big area.

 

[Baileybunchx5]

Some potential ideas: a couple pack n plays, a small tent, a baby crib with weed blocker fabric around the sides and a top, a refrigerator box.

Love the refrigerator box idea. Hmmm, I have a large wire dog crate but still dont feel like that will be enough room for 10 chicks as they age. I live in Maryland and I'm not sure what the temps will be by time they are 6 weeks which is when I am hoping they can start in the coop. Even if I just put the brooder in the Coop.

 

[Baileybunchx5]

A giant cardboard box can work well.

It could come from a grocery store (like the pallet-sized kind watermelons arrive in), or from an appliance (washing machine, refrigerator, etc), or it can be made by cutting parts of several boxes and taping them together to make one giant box.



Plan on two square feet per chick by the time they are 6-8 weeks old. That would be 20 square feet, or about 4 feet by 5 feet. More space is fine, but much less can cause problems. It's probably easier to make that much space now, rather than trying to do some other size and then upgrade again in a few weeks. Week-old chicks will have a grand time running around in a big area.

What about putting them in the coop around 6 weeks? I hear they need to be fully feathered.

 

[NatJ]

What about putting them in the coop around 6 weeks? I hear they need to be fully feathered.

I live in Maryland and I'm not sure what the temps will be by time they are 6 weeks which is when I am hoping they can start in the coop. Even if I just put the brooder in the Coop.

Do you already have the coop?

If you can provide the right amount of heat in the coop, they can go out as early as you like-- even the very first day you have them.

The idea of them being fully feathered is for moving out to a coop with no heat source.

 

[imacowgirl2]

What about putting them in the coop around 6 weeks? I hear they need to be fully feathered.

Mine aren’t fully feathered when I put them in the coop; I move their whole brooder out there and then after a few days take away the crate but leave the heat source until they are fully feathered.

 

[Baileybunchx5]

Do you already have the coop?

If you can provide the right amount of heat in the coop, they can go out as early as you like-- even the very first day you have them.

The idea of them being fully feathered is for moving out to a coop with no heat source.

So if we move them to a garage with some temporary fencing and a tarp or something on bottom and a heat bulb that should be good?

 

[Ridgeback825]

Love the refrigerator box idea. Hmmm, I have a large wire dog crate but still dont feel like that will be enough room for 10 chicks as they age. I live in Maryland and I'm not sure what the temps will be by time they are 6 weeks which is when I am hoping they can start in the coop. Even if I just put the brooder in the Coop.

I modeled a mini coop that is similar to our main coop and placed it inside our run so the new chicks can see and socialize with the flock. It has worked well because no one wants chicks indoors for 6 weeks! Lol