How many times do you upgrade your brooder?

[Desirai]

So, how do you judge how big the brooder should be if you want to keep them in that one spot til time to transfer to coop?

I'm going to have about 5 babies come Spring time. I want to be able to set up one thing to brood them in because my space is limited. My grandparents are graciously allowing me to house them on their property, and I don't want to push my luck

I have not experienced a chicken in any stage of its life other than old enough to lay eggs, so I don't really know how big they are before that.

 

[Fred's Hens]

For 5 chicks, I would want a brooder that is about 3'x5' minimum. 3'x6' or 4'x8' would be better. Just don't go smaller than 3'x5' and you'll be OK with 5 chicks. The bigger question that a lot of folks seem to "miss" is where they are going to pen the chicks at the 6 week, end of brood. Straight to the coop? That works. A large 6' x 10' grow out pen? That would work too.

 

[debid]

I've read that 1 sq. foot guideline quite a few times and that's exactly what mine had until 6 weeks (because the coop wasn't finished on schedule!) So, I know it can be done but you have to be prepared to clean it frequently and have that coop ready no later than 6 weeks. I was seeing a good bit of squabbling at that point and they seemed too crowded to me. I also used a nipple waterer so the only moisture was from their droppings. Considering that they were tipping the feeder regularly by then, I think that was a wise decision.

Fred's setup would be fantastic -- they hang out in the trailer until they move to the coop and then you just back the trailer up to the compost pile and dump the spent litter. Awesome!

 

[Time-Out]

Fred's Hens :

For 5 chicks, I would want a brooder that is about 3'x5' minimum. 3'x6' or 4'x8' would be better. Just don't go smaller than 3'x5' and you'll be OK with 5 chicks. The bigger question that a lot of folks seem to "miss" is where they are going to pen the chicks at the 6 week, end of brood. Straight to the coop? That works. A large 6' x 10' grow out pen? That would work too.

I have a spare run and 'box coop', as we call it, for the integration period. Chicks get big, fast!

You could also do a multi-storey brooder, if floor space is lacking.
The first time I brooded, their second brooder was my degu's travel cage (2ft x 1.5ft x 2ft). I built a first floor out of ply, with a hole in the middle and a ramp to the bottom. The bottom had a perch and the electric hen brooder, while the food and water was on the top. I had 4 chicks in there: 2 Sebrights and 2 Friesians. Within a week, they'd outgrown it. Plus, they were kicking sawdust everywhere. It took them a couple of days of being shoved up the ramp and pushed down through the hole before they got the hang of things.​

 

[SteveBaz]

A lot have started out in big dog kennels or refrigerator boxes in the basement or garage. I did the dog kennel bc it was something I could manage later for quarantine or separate medical box or new kids but I only order chicks in the Spring bc at the end of week 3 out the go to the coop to finish the insane growth Tasmanian devil cycle. From 4 weeks on the dust and the odor is beyond fun but gross. I only did that 1 time and after that they are raised outside. Winter broods are not fun at all but work. Summer is the time to play with chicks weather is not so much a factor or come into play.

 

[silkymom1986]

We have a small brooder we keep them in inside until they are big enough to go outside into our next size up. It all really depends on how many chicks you have as to what you need.

 

[FoxCreekFarm]

I like your idea

 

[Blooie]

I start 'em outside in the run. That way integration is flawless (complete integration by the time they are 4 weeks old), they don't have to acclimate to cooler temps going from the house to the coop, they are totally comfortable with day/night cycles and sleep all night through, and I don't have the mess in the house. No heat lamps for me - if you know me you know that I use Mama Heating Pad. Easy peasy.

The first year I had chicks I did that "in the house" thing....built a large brooder box out of scrap wood and siding that we had laying around. So when I opted to brood outdoors from then on out, we used that same brooder, stood it on its end so the cave had a windbreak on three sides, and attached the brooder pen to it. So I've really never "changed" brooders - I just re-purposed the original one.


The original brooder pen in the house. <shudder>



Same box out in the run, stood upright on its end with the heating pad cave tucked in and an old dog x-pen attached to the sides.