Inside coop Brooder

[crystal195655]

Just got my first chicks EVER...on Monday! 7 hens and a roo...I think! I decided to Brood them in the coop. My coop is only 4'X8' so it's not large. I placed a board to divide the coop in half and hung my heat lamp, layed down some puppy piddle pads and paper towels over the top of pine shavings. After the first couple of days I removed the piddle pads and the chicks are doing wonderfully. I am so glad that I am doing it this way, they have plenty of room to move from under the lamp if they want to. Our temps are still in the mid 20's at night and they are doing fine. The coop is insulated and gets some sunshine in the early afternoon to help keep it nice and toasty in there. This afternoon around 3 PM it was 72 degrees in there. They are happy little critters! The best thing is that I don't have to listen to or smell them in the house.

So for any of you out there who think you have to have them in the house...Poppy Cock!! of course, to each his own....I'm just saying it can be done in the coop if you want to. Everything I know about raising chicks (and that ain't much) I learned from BYC......Thanks to all of you!

 

[Bullitt]

Congratulations. Can you post a picture?

With a heat source in the coop there is no reason why the chicks can't be in the coop. They will stay warm. You are right.

Maybe if someone lived in a colder region they might have to take more precaution, though.

 

[crystal195655]

Here are a few pictures of what my set up is

 

[Bullitt]

That is your chicken coop? It looks like it is built out of cinder blocks. It looks very nice, and I like the rooster painting on the wall.

In the last picture the chicks are all huddled under the heat lamp. Very cute.

Why is the big PVC pipe there? Maybe you will install a bathroom for them.

 

[crystal195655]

no, the coop is wood construction and the walls are OSB inside and out. The PVC pipes are going to be the feeders when they get big enough, right now they are capped and taped off so that the little ones don't get inside and not be able to get out.

check out some other pictures of the coop below. I included a close up view of the PVC feeders

 

[Bullitt]

Chick-N-Foot Inn! Wow, call Chicken Coops Digest.

That is a very nice coop and run. It looks almost like a doll house.

The PVC feeders are a good idea. Take the cap off at the top, fill it with feed, and put the cap back on. As the chickens eat the feed, more feed comes down the pipe. Very nice.

Those are very lucky chickens.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yep, you don't have to brood indoors. I had day old chicks in my "brooder", with heat of course. Little coops with runs from craigslist make terrific brooders!