hubby has given me a timeframe to move chicks.....advise please!!!

[mandapanda3186]

He never sees them...never goes in the basement...and somehow he still says they got to go!

I don't like when he's all

I prefer him all

so here's what I need to figure out...

Were building the coop this weekend. It will be fully enclosed and safe, I will make sure of that. I think I can convince him to let them stay for 2 more weeks...so how should I do this? I need to keep their heat source(they will be ranged from 3 to 5 weeks) my coop is 8 x 12. I could fit a brooder in there...what kind of setup would you suggest? (I have 28 chicks and 3 ducklings) I thought about those 8 panel children playyards..or dog playards...with a top. would that work you think? Or is that not necessary? Or what?

These are my first chicks...I want to do it right. Please add any and all suggestions! Thanks

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
If there are no other chickens to worry about, I think you can put them directly in the big coop without anything confining them to a certain area.
I would have a red heat lamp (or two. That's a BIG coop!) in one corner so that you can keep the temperature around 80 degrees in that corner. Those who feel it necessary to stay in the warmer corner, will and those who don't need quite as much heat anymore will stray further away from the lamp.

Don't tell your husband, but I've got my two week old babies out in the Big Girl Coop right now. They're in their own, large box with the heat lamp on one side and the food and water on the other side. They know when they need to be nearer or farther from the light and will regulate their own temperatures. I do have the box covered with window screening so that none of the Big Girls can get in and bother them and so that they stay in unitl they're bigger and can hold their own.

I'm interested in knowing how you're going to build that cathedral coop in one weekend? Are you having a coop-raising party or something? That's a huge undertaking. Do tell. And let's see photos when it's done please!

Good luck with the DH.

 

[mandapanda3186]

Haha I WISH we were THAT good and were building that from scratch. Were converting an old lean-to. It has 3 1/4 sides. So were adding the door, floor, windows and chicken door. Run to follow for a different weekend. Will definately post pics

Thanks for the comfort in them being ok...I'm still throwing around ideas so any others are still appreciated

 

[fried green eggs]

I just built a small brooder pen in the corner of my coop with hardware cloth and put it under the poop board will help keep it warmer and I put a outlet so, I can use a heat lamp in it and a door that can be removed when the pen is not needed. The plan will be when - I add new chicks next year - put the door back on w/hinges and I can use the pen to get big ones used to little ones until they can be together. It wasn't hard to build with a few 2x4s - one under door is removeable, stapled hardware cloth on one side and door w/ hinges on the front. Good luck

 

[fishnet1971]

I would just kick the hubby out of the house and keep the chicks.

blaahahahahahahahahaha

 

[mama24]

I moved my 4 wk old chicks out to our chicken shed last week. I put a roll of screen around a kiddie swimming pool the first day and night, only b/c I have chickens and wasn't sure how that would go. My grown chickens completely ignored them, so I took the screen and kiddie pool away. They go in and out of the shed on their own now, and still have the heat lamp if they need it, don't seem to use it much anymore. They like to cuddle up around the edges of where the light is hitting instead of being right under it now.

 

[suzeqf]

i have 30 from 2-7 weeks old in my hubby's shop and we had to add a 3rd box and a 3rd light onto the little chick side of what we are now calling the chickie condo and my 7 week olds are now perching on the sides of the complex we've got all the stuff to start the coop we just haven't had enough decent non rainy weather on the weekends i told him that i'm ok with them being in the shop but if they get much bigger i'm going to have to clean out a corner because they are out grownig their box very quickly now

 

[noodleroo]

I'm afraid if my husband gave me a timeline to move my chicks, I'd have to give him a timeline to move out!

 

[sgtmom52]

I moved my chicks from the large plastic tote brooder in the basement when they were 3 weeks old to the bigger brooder in out pole building. It is made out of 1.5 sheets of OSB with hardware cloth screens on top and a hardware cloth removable divider so I can keep some chicks seperate if I want too. Everything is screwed together so it can be taken apart and stored flat after hatching season. I have a heat light and natural (Revel) light, mini roost and sandbox for dust bathing on each side. This brooder was really easy to make and set up. The bottom is just a heavy duty tarp over a layer of cardboard for padding and insulation. I was actually happy to get them and the dust out of my Family room ~ besides I needed the tote brooders for the next bunch of chicks that were ready to hatch