OK, I didn't post this on the brooder thread, cause my chickens are kind of past the brooder stage (they are 10 weeks, 8 weeks and 6 weeks, all bantam breeds) but we have had to delay building our coop for a few weeks due to $$, but the chickens were getting kind of cramped in their brooder condo that I had fashioned. I also had the problem of needing to introduce the two 6 week old chicks to the older chicks before getting them all out into the coop. What to do? What to do? Then, I came up with what I think (quite modestly I might add) is a genius solution!
I bought 2 of those white wire cube shelving unit kits from the home department at Target (they look like shelves made from stacked milk crates, if you have never seen one), and 20 peel and stick linoleum tiles from Home Depot, along with a roll of 2" wide super tacky masking tape. Throwing the assembly instructions in the trash, I used the conectors that were provided with the kit to make a 2 panel by 6 panel "floor" for our new chicken apartment. I then lined this floor with the linoleum tiles, leaving the backing on so that we can use them later in the floor of our coop. I had to do some cutting around the connectors, and I "sealed" the tiles into a solid floor with the masking tape. Then I built up a wall 1 panel high all around, with a 1 panel high divider, making part of the "apartment" 2x2 and the other section 1x2. I then lined the inside of my outer walls with linoleum tiles, to keep the chickens from kicking out the pine shavings. I sealed this with masking tape also. Then, another alyer of panels were added, making the total height of the wall 2 panels high, and the divider wall 2 panels high also. Now, my older 5 chicks have a 2x2 area to roam in, complete with PVC roosts, and my 2 6 week old chicks have a compartment of their own, where they can be seen, but not picked on.
When the chicks are moved out into the coop, we will take the whole thing apart, and store it until next year when we have more chicks. Then we can start with a smaler set up, and expand gradually as needed.
Here is a pic.. it's not too good, I will try to get a better one tonight. You can see my babies all stuffing their faces into the feeder!!
I bought 2 of those white wire cube shelving unit kits from the home department at Target (they look like shelves made from stacked milk crates, if you have never seen one), and 20 peel and stick linoleum tiles from Home Depot, along with a roll of 2" wide super tacky masking tape. Throwing the assembly instructions in the trash, I used the conectors that were provided with the kit to make a 2 panel by 6 panel "floor" for our new chicken apartment. I then lined this floor with the linoleum tiles, leaving the backing on so that we can use them later in the floor of our coop. I had to do some cutting around the connectors, and I "sealed" the tiles into a solid floor with the masking tape. Then I built up a wall 1 panel high all around, with a 1 panel high divider, making part of the "apartment" 2x2 and the other section 1x2. I then lined the inside of my outer walls with linoleum tiles, to keep the chickens from kicking out the pine shavings. I sealed this with masking tape also. Then, another alyer of panels were added, making the total height of the wall 2 panels high, and the divider wall 2 panels high also. Now, my older 5 chicks have a 2x2 area to roam in, complete with PVC roosts, and my 2 6 week old chicks have a compartment of their own, where they can be seen, but not picked on.
When the chicks are moved out into the coop, we will take the whole thing apart, and store it until next year when we have more chicks. Then we can start with a smaler set up, and expand gradually as needed.
Here is a pic.. it's not too good, I will try to get a better one tonight. You can see my babies all stuffing their faces into the feeder!!
