Incorporating a brooder area in Woods Coop?

[Medda]

Hi all,
I think I want to incubate some eggs from my flock in the future and need some advice on how I can incorporate a brooding area within the Woods coop. Ideally, I would like to be able to move the chicks into the coop/brooder area within the first day or two of hatch (I will have electric at coop and use a Mama heating pad, etc.). The coop is 10'x16' with pop doors on the front left and right corners. The Nest box is mounted on the wall with approximately 20-22 inches of space beneath.

Here is the current interior layout of my Woods coop:

@aart , @Howard E , or @JackE - any thoughts/suggestions how I could fit in a brooder area for about 10 chicks?
Thanks, Medda (Sharon)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mine is not a Woods Coop but this shows what I did. I put the brooder under the roosts and use the top as a droppings board. The brooder doesn't go all the way across so I use plastic bins to catch poop from the roosts.

 

[aart]

That was my first thought, under roosts, but then you'd need dropping boards.....
and not sure if you'd planned for those.

 

[imnukensc]

I'd put it underneath the nest box.

 

[aart]

I'd put it underneath the nest box.

That was my second thought....but 16" might be tight space.

 

[imnukensc]

I'd make it deeper than the nest boxes. The laying hens would then have a step into the boxes.

 

[cholland]

You will probably want a solid top where ever you put it. Other bird will want to get on top.
I have been considering the same thing in my Woods coop and will probably put the brooder area in one of the back corners, under the roost bars.

 

[WthrLady]

Mine was under the poop board and went the whole back of the coop under the roosts. 24 inches deep and 8 foot long. Gave mom privacy, and room to run with chicks. Doors and walls were removable for when I had no broody to open the space for all the chickens.

 

[JackE]

For my coop, I've built two lightweight temporary walls, with 2X3"s and chickenwire. With them, I block off a 4X6' area (The low roofed area up front), in the front corner of the coop, opposite the entry door. There is a chickenwire door in one wall to access the area. Again, 2X3" framed, with chickenwire, and the door itself, is hinged with chickenwire. The walls go from floor to ceiling, and just tied together with string at the corner. I put a separate water fount, and feeder in there, plus a single nestbox for the broody. This is also what I use, when I introduce new storebought chicks. The older birds get a good look at them for a few weeks, and makes everything go smooth, when the walls come down.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

In my breeding/meat coop, I put a temporary brooder in the corner close to the door for ease of observation. I just used the 2 existing walls, and added 2 more walls creating a 5x4' brooder that is 28"' tall on the sides. I built a screened top that is removable, and when I'm done with all the brooding, I just dismantle the whole set up and it hangs on the wall for easy storage.