Living outside

[ZoomuKeeper]

The long one with the feed and water is a 24" high dog x pen and the other is a 24" x 36" double door dog crate. I attached each end of the x pen to the crate, to make the L shape.

You can sorta see what I did in this pic, one crate door is open into the x pen.
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I love it!

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

It has a floor, I do deep bedding with pine shavings and some straw, in the coop. I used Black Jack 57 on the floor. I didn't even think about building it without a floor.
Why do you hate your floor?

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The roof sealer? did it dry hard? As far as my heating I have been using red heat lamps. Habit. I am a retired zoo keeper and it is what we use for everything. They do worry me though. I like the idea of the heat pad. I have 13 viable eggs in my incubator so far so good. This will be my first hatch. I normally buy chicks from TSC

 

[blackdog043]

scraping and cleaning and disinfecting. ground all you would have to do it rake it up lol

I clean my coop bedding out once a year and scrape any poop (not much) that has stuck to the floor. I don't scrub, disinfect or anything else. I do use poop boards that I scoop daily, which helps with how much poop goes on my floor and odors. My coop doesn't smell our draw many flies to it. I have sticky fly traps with more dust on them than flies.

The roof sealer? did it dry hard? As far as my heating I have been using red heat lamps. Habit. I am a retired zoo keeper and it is what we use for everything. They do worry me though. I like the idea of the heat pad.

Yes, Black Jack 57 rubber roof coating, it dries hard and is very durable.


The mama heat pad is a great way to raise chicks. I would highly recommend it. I made mine with a cooling rack. I use the 12" x 24" sunbeam heat pad.

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

I clean my coop bedding out once a year and scrape any poop (not much) that has stuck to the floor. I don't scrub, disinfect or anything else. I do use poop boards that I scoop daily, which helps with how much poop goes on my floor and odors. My coop doesn't smell our draw many flies to it. I have sticky fly traps with more dust on them than flies.



Yes, Black Jack 57 rubber roof coating, it dries hard and is very durable.
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The mama heat pad is a great way to raise chicks. I would highly recommend it. I made mine with a cooling rack. I use the 12" x 24" sunbeam heat pad.

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Living is Florida is great. Two seasons, Fall and summer. Our Fall lasts if you put all the days together probably 2 weeks, but with it you get bugs all year, bees, wasps, flies, if it bites we have it. Even the black house flies bite. SO flies can become a problem here with chickens if not kept under control. I never thought about the cooling rack to house the heating pad. SHEER GENIUS! Now the towel, that dose not over heat the pad by covering it? Is it to help keep the warmth down under or to keep them from pooping all over it or both. How is the pad attached to the rack or is it just sitting on top? SO many questions I know.

 

[blackdog043]

I never thought about the cooling rack to house the heating pad. SHEER GENIUS! Now the towel, that dose not over heat the pad by covering it? Is it to help keep the warmth down under or to keep them from pooping all over it or both. How is the pad attached to the rack or is it just sitting on top? SO many questions I know.

I got the cooling rack idea from @aart. I'd post the thread link, but I'm in the coop using my phone. I'm working on integrating my 3.5 week old chicks today. I cover the pad with press and seal, then cover with a towel, so they aren't on the press and seal. No it doesn't over heat it. I use 2" packing tape to hold it on the rack. The chicks do fine with the pad on top. Aart uses small bungee cords to hold it up underneath the rack. It's like everything else with raising chicks/chickens, there's more than one way to do it.

 

[aart]

I got the cooling rack idea from @aart. I'd post the thread link, but I'm in the coop using my phone.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

I got the cooling rack idea from @aart. I'd post the thread link, but I'm in the coop using my phone. I'm working on integrating my 3.5 week old chicks today. I cover the pad with press and seal, then cover with a towel, so they aren't on the press and seal. No it doesn't over heat it. I use 2" packing tape to hold it on the rack. The chicks do fine with the pad on top. Aart uses small bungee cords to hold it up underneath the rack. It's like everything else with raising chicks/chickens, there's more than one way to do it.

You are a rock star! Thank you. It is going to be 57 for a low tonight Is that too cold to keep them in the coop without a heat source?

 

[blackdog043]

Kinda late answering this, I was pretty busy outside today. Yes they should be fine, they will probably huddle together. If your temps are the same tomorrow, put them out in the morning and leave them in there.

I had the brooder open today, so I took a better pic.

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

Kinda late answering this, I was pretty busy outside today. Yes they should be fine, they will probably huddle together. If your temps are the same tomorrow, put them out in the morning and leave them in there.

I had the brooder open today, so I took a better pic.

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I really like your set up

 

[aart]

I had the brooder open today, so I took a better pic.

Set up is awesome!
Is that a separate brooder to the right with the bigger chick in it?