Need ideas for small coop/brooder for babies

[LeslieMerrill]

I have 5 grown hens and 1 grown rooster. I am adding more chicks to my flock and I'm looking for ideas for a small coop/brooder box that I can put them in outside when they are big enough until they can go in with the big birds.

Please share your ideas! I've looked online and have seen many ideas using PVC pipes, wooden 1x2s, etc. Let me know what has worked and what hasn't! Thanks! I'd like a structure that will keep a broody hen in the future. (None of mine that I have now will be broody but I'm expanding with different breeds!)

 

[MeepBeep]

Are you looking for something to go inside the coop, or just temporarily put them outside in?

They are not cheap but look at larger guinea pig cages, they are fairly easy to move around and the bars are small enough to confine chicks and offer protection from the other adult birds...

Or a lot of people just make a wire top for a plastic tub, or a use a dog crate or cage (might need to be wrapped in wire mesh if bars are wide)

Maybe give some more insight into what you have in mind...

 

[LeslieMerrill]

I'm wanting something that can go inside the run so they will be safe from the big birds until they can be put together and something that will be safe from predators as well. We prefer to build our own stuff rather than buy because we have access to a lot of materials.

Something that can house 12 chicks until they are old enough to go in the big coop. I just want reviews from people about what works well and what doesn't.

 

[MeepBeep]

If it's going to go inside a protective run, you can do what I did for young birds in my coop, I built two 8x3x3 foot frames out of 2x4s and two 3x3x3 frames out of 2x4s and covered them with plastic poultry netting (if you want it predator resistant you will need to use hardware cloth) I made simple slide door on one of the long sides out of plywood and put a plywood top on it, no bottom... And presto a big run inside the run or coop for growing birds but also big enough for a few adults... Mine sit on top of benches in my coop (I have a large cop) I have two hook opposite each other on the ceiling above the 3 foot sides that I'm able to attached some ratchet straps to and lift the entire thing up and out of the way for cleaning under it...

Not pretty but it's functional for me and it can also serve as a small breeding pen to isolate hens that I want to breed...

 

[junebuggena]

A coop and run for 12 chicks is going to take up a lot of space in the existing run. Maybe building it 'next door' and having a shared fence for one side of the run might be a better idea. Then, when they are old enough, you can snip a few chick sized holes in the wire so the chicks can go visit in the big chicken's run, but the big chickens can't get to the little guys. When the big guys get to be a bit too much for the little guys, they can retreat to their 'safe' zone.

 

[EastmanEggs]

READ THIS!

I too was looking for this same solution, when I was suddenly hit with an epiphany...

Here was my train of though, before it derailed:

"I will put my chicks in a brooder until they are old enough to get along with my hens... oh wait, (derailment) The 5 week old pullets will need to be kept separate from the laying hens!"

Why? Because they require chick/grower feed WITHOUT CALCIUM, while laying hens require laying feed WITH CALCIUM.

This is very important as laying feed damages young birds due to the calcium content.

I had to create another coop for raising to 18wks. So now I have a "Chick feed coop" and a "layer" coop.

 

[aart]

I have 5 grown hens and 1 grown rooster. I am adding more chicks to my flock and I'm looking for ideas for a small coop/brooder box that I can put them in outside when they are big enough until they can go in with the big birds.

Please share your ideas! I've looked online and have seen many ideas using PVC pipes, wooden 1x2s, etc. Let me know what has worked and what hasn't! Thanks! I'd like a structure that will keep a broody hen in the future. (None of mine that I have now will be broody but I'm expanding with different breeds!)

I'm wanting something that can go inside the run so they will be safe from the big birds until they can be put together and something that will be safe from predators as well. We prefer to build our own stuff rather than buy because we have access to a lot of materials.

Something that can house 12 chicks until they are old enough to go in the big coop. I just want reviews from people about what works well and what doesn't.

Post some pics of your existing coop and run...and folks might be able to suggest something.
I partitioned off part of my coop with a temporary wall for introducing new birds, broody hens, rogue cockerels, etc...then built a separate run off that.

 

[aart]

READ THIS!

I too was looking for this same solution, when I was suddenly hit with an epiphany...

Here was my train of though, before it derailed:

"I will put my chicks in a brooder until they are old enough to get along with my hens... oh wait, (derailment) The 5 week old pullets will need to be kept separate from the laying hens!"

Why? Because they require chick/grower feed WITHOUT CALCIUM, while laying hens require laying feed WITH CALCIUM.

This is very important as laying feed damages young birds due to the calcium content.

I had to create another coop for raising to 18wks. So now I have a "Chick feed coop" and a "layer" coop.

...or you could just feed an 'all flock' type feed and provide oyster shells in a separate container.

I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

 

[EastmanEggs]

...or you could just feed an 'all flock' type feed and provide oyster shells in a separate container.

I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

I was very skeptical about feeding an all-glock food. Maybe I into look into further nto what my local feed store has for sale...

 

[MeepBeep]

I was very skeptical about feeding an all-glock food. Maybe I into look into further nto what my local feed store has for sale...

What are your concerns? A decent all flock feed is fine for all ages of chickens, it's even OK young chicks if it's over 18% protein... If you are raising rapid growth meat birds you will want to get a slighlty higher protein food... The excess protein won't hurt the birds it just makes for little more stinkier poop, but as said it allows you supplement their feed with other lower protein stuff while they still get decent levels of protein overall...

Just beware of the all flock feed you choose, in another thread someone pointed out a brand that was heavily supplemented with calcium in excess of even what many layer feeds have, this defeats the entire reason most people use all flock feed...

I used to feed all my birds all flock but local cost was about 20% more than other feeds, so I switched to a 50/50 blend of layer and hog feed instead basically mixing my own all flock feed, and cutting the calcium levels with the hog feed...

As for calcium if offered on the side, as most do with crushed oyster shells the birds will do a very good job of self regulating their needs... The birds that need it will consume it when they need it, and ignore it when they don't...