new brooder... how old?

[jham86]

When I move my chicks outside Im going to be putting them in a old rabbit pen we had that was a rabbit pen until I get my coop built. My question is the pen has a wire floor in it. how old would they need to be so thier feet do not get messed up by the wire. Im in South GA so temp should not be an issue by the time they are 3 or 4 weeks old. Will they be ok in there at that age? dont want to hurt thier feet but want to move them outside as soon as possible.

 

[TouchO'Lass]

I don't know if they would hurt their feet, (too inexperienced!) but I had a wire rack in the bottom of my brooder that I just lined with that spongy type of drawer liner and tacked it down in the corners with small zip ties so they didn't keep pulling it up. It's washable and pretty sturdy...

 

[jossanne]

How big are the gaps in the wire? 1/4" hardware cloth is good, but much bigger than that and I think you'll have problems.

 

[jham86]

not sure exactly but probably something like 3/8s to 1/2 in. I guess I will look around for something to put in there for them, was hoping to avoid having to clean the bedding lol.

 

[spiritdance]

Is the top of the rabbit cage rain proof? If it is, do your chickens a favor and line the wire with indoor outdoor carpet topped with bedding. Chickens like to scratch and roll in their bedding, and every time I have put any of mine on wire they have seemed to hate it. Additionally, blocking the view from below will discourage potential predators that could tear through the wire to your chicks.

 

[jham86]

ok that sounds easy enough, thanks. yes the top is waterproof, just the front and bottom are wire, the rest is enclosed