Is it better to.....

[Wise Woman]

have a separate coop as a brooder or to put a brooder in your regular coop? I had designed an external brooder (like an external nest box only bigger) to be built into my new coop. However, I now have to use a resin shed as a coop and won't be able to do that. So I am having to come up with a new design for the inside of this shed and while I can fit a brooder in there, it would take up a fair amount of floor space from the big girls. I could make it up above the nest boxes possible, but that would make it somewhat difficult to tend to and to clean.

My husband built me a small chicken ark as a grow out pen, but I really have no place to brood. I have a small garden out back that I am considering using just for herbs and would have the room to make a small brooding coop to go right in the middle of it. Do you think this would work out ok as long as I can keep the temps where they need to be? I wouldn't be brooding over the cold winter months, only in the spring and summer. Does anyone else do this? Thanks for the input.

 

[mandelyn]

You can put the brooder on stilts to retain the floor space, with removable poop trays under it to protect any wondering birds below. Or, incorporate the nest boxes below the brooder. Having the brooder at waist height or taller is handy for cleaning and accessing the birds inside. No bending over! Just be sure to have wire all the way to the roof, or else the chickens will attempt roosting on the top of it.

Usually coops are tall enough for us to walk inside, but the chickens can't use that air space besides where the roost is. Using one wall to build up... storage shelves, nest boxes, brooder, time out pen, whatever. All that can be built up on stilts to retain the floor space. Leave enough room for you to get in there easily with a rake to clean under the area and you're good to go.

Depending on the size of the shed anyways.

 

[acer3211]

or if this is helpful just build a simple box brooder

 

[Wise Woman]

Thanks, this gives me a couple ideas. My problem is that due to time, money and space, I will be getting a 7 x 7 resin shed for a coop and I am going to have to make the best use of the space as I can. I was going to line the back wall, which is 7 ft long, with a double row of nest boxes and put the perches in front of the nest boxes. I will be extending the bottom of the nest boxes out under the roosts as a poop board. Actually I will be installing a piece of 4 x 7 plywood across the back of the coop and was going to install the nest boxes on top of the plywood like in this coop.

http://www.thefancyfarmgirl.com/heres-the-coop/

However, I could make a brooder there instead and make a set of nest boxes to go from the floor up and fit into half of the doorway. That way I could just gather the eggs from the front door and then when the girls are roosting, they could look at the babies. Or I could do half the wall brooder and half nest boxes. Thanks for the help! Much appreciated. Sometimes I can't see the forest for the trees.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

My brooder is in my bedroom!

I like being able to check on my baby chicks and know that they are warm and safe. I don't know if putting your brooder in your house is an option, but it works for me!

 

[mandelyn]

I have brooders in the basement so that I can check them a lot, but I do like having a "graduation" brooder outside in the coop for when they're bigger, but not big enough.

I had to dismantle my coop brooder when I split the building in half to add ducks and a new run. I had the brooder on the floor with the top as the poop board to the roosts, but needed the floor space back. So I pulled it out, put my roosts on feet so that it "floats", and elevated my nest boxes 2 ft off the ground, so that the only thing on the floor is food and water.

Since ducks don't roost at all and can't use any air space, I was thinking on building a brooder on their half of the shed, I can go as big as a 5x2ft, and have it 3ft off the floor. They'll likely sleep under it, they seem to like smaller spaces for sleeping.