Is my plan solid? Plus a few questions!

[Missbc]

I’ve ordered day-old chicks (Australorp, austra white, blue copper Marans, Easter Egger and golden laced Wyandotte) - ten total. All females, all vaccinated for Merck’s. Arriving in late February.

I have a basement with a concrete floor. It’s unfinished and partially below ground but also serves as a garage. A heat vent provides heat in a part of it, and the whole area keeps pretty close to 50 degrees year round, day and night. I have a pet play yard in which I will set up a large cardboard box with a brinsea eco glow (puppy pads on the bottom or straw?) The box will have a wood framed hardware cloth cover that can be removed easily. Once they get too big, they’ll have the play yard to use (straw on the concrete or ...?) I have a cover for it so they can’t fly out. I’ve used it as a hen isolation pen as needed. It’s easy to secure perches in the play yard.

I have a 6x6’ hen house. There is an area under the perch that I can wall off with wood framed hardware cloth panels to form a safe area for the chicks once they can go out to the hen house (when can I move them out? Six weeks?)

There is a run attached to the hen house. It’s tall enough to walk in (with a separate crazy chicken lady door) and is 10x12’, and secure. My current flock of 5 hens has never had a predator breach the coop since we built it two years ago. Concrete footings and every inch secured with 1/4” hardware cloth. Not even a mouse can get in. Hens have one hen-sized door into/out of the run into the hen house.

On the other side of the hen house is the expanded area (all under a new 32x12’ metal roof- attached photo shows the expansion) that will be enclosed with hardware cloth next month. Total space is 6x10’ plus a small area that will join the existing run. My plan is to have another crazy chicken lady sized door installed between the two runs along the back side of the hen house with a small pullet sized opening in the door so the pullets can run away from the hens.

My concern is the entrance/exit from the hen house itself. There is only one door. I guess I could have another opening created for the pullets on another wall that only leads into the new extension area. Is this necessary?

Sorry for the long post and thanks for any answers or other advice!

 

[scrambled please]

My experience with two openings, they all preferred the same one.
My experience with the garage is my hubby was not happy because it smelled and the dust was horrific, I had 25 chicks. He built me an outside brooding box.
It sounds like you thought everything out pretty well. The is coop is pretty.
Pray about everything.

 

[nchls school]

Be aware that your older hens will pick on the new arrivals if they can. Is the coop big enough for 15 chickens when the chicks grow during cold weather? What you have looks great!

 

[Missbc]

I am concerned about the smell and dust. I suppose I could fit the brooder (cardboard) box in the new expansion area. I’m a little worried about the brinsea working in 40 degree overnight weather. I’m not worried about running an extension cord out- I do have an outside outlet within ten feet or so.

I expect I’ll be down to four hens soon (one is ancient and I’m amazed she’s alive every morning!) but I plan on keeping my flock size at about 10 which means I’m not planning on keeping all of the new babies.

 

[IamRainey]

If it's cold outside your chicks -- and you husband -- will do fine with the basement/garage for a few weeks. It wouldn't be a good permanent arrangement unless you're good with the idea of divorce. But short range and kept clean it shouldn't get out of hand.

 

[scrambled please]

I am concerned about the smell and dust. I suppose I could fit the brooder (cardboard) box in the new expansion area. I’m a little worried about the brinsea working in 40 degree overnight weather. I’m not worried about running an extension cord out- I do have an outside outlet within ten feet or so.

I expect I’ll be down to four hens soon (one is ancient and I’m amazed she’s alive every morning!) but I plan on keeping my flock size at about 10 which means I’m not planning on keeping all of the new babies.

That’s what we did. I get up and check and pray.

If it's cold outside your chicks -- and you husband -- will do fine with the basement/garage for a few weeks. It wouldn't be a good permanent arrangement unless you're good with the idea of divorce. But short range and kept clean it shouldn't get out of hand.

have you done it?

 

[aart]

I like to integrate chicks young.
Brooded outside from one week after hatch, then integrated by 4-6 weeks.
Looks like you could set that up pretty easy in your coop/runs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Missbc]

If it's cold outside your chicks -- and you husband -- will do fine with the basement/garage for a few weeks. It wouldn't be a good permanent arrangement unless you're good with the idea of divorce.

Luckily he’s pretty tolerant - he built the coop. I want to keep the chick raising as low key and unobtrusive as possible so the basement may be the method I use.

I do like the early integration that aart suggested. Good ideas!