Making loft in brooder idea. Is it safe?

[junior67]

Just had an idea but wanted to see if it would be safe. While I can't expand the brooder since it is a dog crate. It is tall so I can add a "loft" area in part of it to give them a bigger place to jump up to and in a way "expand" their brooder space. Would this be safe for them? I don't want them getting hurt trying to fly down or any other way. The crate is 42" long and 30" high. so I could maybe do like a 15" loft which will give them like 27" of space to jump down. and would add a 15"x27" 2nd floor.....

 

[junior67]

I made the loft yesterday and it is a HUGE hit with the chicks. They are able to jump up and down from it and love doing both. They can also go under it so it added room in the brooder for them and gave them more to do. Just an idea if someone has a dog crate and is looking for more brooder space.

 

[jonalisa]

I made the loft yesterday and it is a HUGE hit with the chicks. They are able to jump up and down from it and love doing both. They can also go under it so it added room in the brooder for them and gave them more to do. Just an idea if someone has a dog crate and is looking for more brooder space.

Sounds great, can you post a photo?

 

[Sally PB]

Great idea! Yes, pictures, please!

I'm going to do something similar when I move my chicks out into the coop later this summer. I'm going to fence off a separate "littles" area that will have a wood top, so the bigger birds won't lose floor space. I'm thinking I'll leave it after the integration, and just take off the fencing.

 

[junior67]

Will try to get a decent pic tonight.

 

[junior67]

Hard to get a good pic of it. But this is it.

 

[jonalisa]

Tonight on Duplex Chicks:

"Girls, please entertain yourselves while I run down to the servant's floor and let the butler know we are ready for the hors d'oeuvres."
"Oh Daphne, your duplex is just so stunning. Next thing you know, all the brooders will be featuring a penthouse like yours! I'm so jealous."
"Oh Margaret, you kill me."

 

[junior67]

Tonight on Duplex Chicks:

"Girls, please entertain yourselves while I run down to the servant's floor and let the butler know we are ready for the hors d'oeuvres."
"Oh Daphne, your duplex is just so stunning. Next thing you know, all the brooders will be featuring a penthouse like yours! I'm so jealous."
"Oh Margaret, you kill me."

funny thing is I put a clump of grass up there after I put it in. LOL and today I sprinkled some of their food up there as a "treat". They are so spoiled and they aren't even out in the coop yet!

 

[MissE]

Hard to get a good pic of it. But this is it.

How are you handling their heat source or do they no longer need heat? Hard to tell from the picture, but looks like they are inside, so maybe they don't need it anymore. So long as they can't jump into a heat lamp, it looks like a neat set up. I'm sure they're enjoying their new pad.

 

[junior67]

How are you handling their heat source or do they no longer need heat? Hard to tell from the picture, but looks like they are inside, so maybe they don't need it anymore. So long as they can't jump into a heat lamp, it looks like a neat set up. I'm sure they're enjoying their new pad.

They are inside. But I have a MHP which is down below. you can see the corner of it in the bottom left corner of the picture. But I actually turned it off today since they aren't really using it anymore besides to sit on it and make a mess of it. Oh and to jump up and down from the loft since that is right there, but they don't need to use it to get up there either.