New chick owner and very confused

[Ridgerunner]

I just noticed you are new to the forum, where are my manners. Welcome to the forum. I like your screen name, it shows a sense of humor.

I don't know what you have to work with up in Michigan. Some of us raise the chicks in the coop from Day 1, even in the winter, but you need power out there to do that. What does that outbuilding look like, we like photos. If we know better what you have to work with we may be able to offer better suggestions. That building could be perfect.

Chickens can make a mess, so protect your house or wherever you put them. A fairly easy way to create a large brooder is to lay a sheet of plywood or a large piece of cardboard on the floor and make a brooder out of a large cardboard box. You can often get a large appliance box at an appliance store. If they outgrow that brooder, tape two large boxes together.

Even in your Michigan winters you should be able to have them outside without heat at 6 weeks of age. The coop will need decent ventilation up high but good breeze protection down low where they are. It also helps to acclimatize them, get them used to cold weather. It can be a pain but if you can take them outside for short periods of time that will help acclimatize them. It would be nice if you could keep them in a cool or even cold place and just provide a warm place for them to go to when they need to warm up. A broody hen can raise her chicks even with snow on the ground, the chicks can handle cold pretty well if they have a place to warm up. That outbuilding may be a real good choice.

Good luck and once again,

 

[aart]

why keep the room cool? For air flow?

To acclimate them to cool ambient temps.
Yah, cold up there....usually it's been a rather warm winter down here.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Easiest way to reduce heat with a heat lamp set up is lower wattage bulbs. That cage really is too small to provide both a hot and cold zone. Ideally the cooler end should be lower than the hot end by 10 degrees, or even more.

I saw in a different thread someone posted that they connected two totes so the chicks have more room. Will that still be too little space?

How big are the totes?

By 4 weeks you'd want to have minimum roughly 1 sq ft of space per bird, by 8 weeks minimum 2 sq ft per bird (though they should be moved out by then).

You may find it easier to switching to very large cardboard boxes, like appliance boxes or melon bins. Or you can possibly tape together smaller boxes like moving boxes.

 

[Ann Perkhens]

Easiest way to reduce heat with a heat lamp set up is lower wattage bulbs. That cage really is too small to provide both a hot and cold zone. Ideally the cooler end should be lower than the hot end by 10 degrees, or even more.



How big are the totes?

By 4 weeks you'd want to have minimum roughly 1 sq ft of space per bird, by 8 weeks minimum 2 sq ft per bird (though they should be moved out by then).

You may find it easier to switching to very large cardboard boxes, like appliance boxes or melon bins. Or you can possibly tape together smaller boxes like moving boxes.

the totes would not be big enough then. I have boxes that would work though. When researching everything said that cardboard and a heat lamp is a no go...but everything I’ve learned today has kind of undone what is researched anyways. what’s the safest set up for cardboard and a heat lamp?

 

[Ann Perkhens]

To acclimate them to cool ambient temps.
Yah, cold up there....usually it's been a rather warm winter down here.

Yeah, we just moved from the southwest side as well and we are getting three times the snow we were getting downstate!

 

[rosemarythyme]

When researching everything said that cardboard and a heat lamp is a no go...but everything I’ve learned today has kind of undone what is researched anyways. what’s the safest set up for cardboard and a heat lamp?

Make sure to have the lamp VERY well secured - do not rely on the clamp. Most lamps have a hanging loop on the back and that should be used. Some people even use the cord to help with that as well.

Also as I mentioned, a lower wattage bulb simply burns less hot, so slightly less risk if it shatters and lands on shavings or cardboard.

 

[aart]

Yeah, we just moved from the southwest side as well and we are getting three times the snow we were getting downstate!

And I see you are getting more today, and we are not.
I am not missing it.
Hang in there!
Hey, hop on over to the Michigan Chat thread and say hello.

 

[Ann Perkhens]

I just noticed you are new to the forum, where are my manners. Welcome to the forum. I like your screen name, it shows a sense of humor.

I don't know what you have to work with up in Michigan. Some of us raise the chicks in the coop from Day 1, even in the winter, but you need power out there to do that. What does that outbuilding look like, we like photos. If we know better what you have to work with we may be able to offer better suggestions. That building could be perfect.

Chickens can make a mess, so protect your house or wherever you put them. A fairly easy way to create a large brooder is to lay a sheet of plywood or a large piece of cardboard on the floor and make a brooder out of a large cardboard box. You can often get a large appliance box at an appliance store. If they outgrow that brooder, tape two large boxes together.

Even in your Michigan winters you should be able to have them outside without heat at 6 weeks of age. The coop will need decent ventilation up high but good breeze protection down low where they are. It also helps to acclimatize them, get them used to cold weather. It can be a pain but if you can take them outside for short periods of time that will help acclimatize them. It would be nice if you could keep them in a cool or even cold place and just provide a warm place for them to go to when they need to warm up. A broody hen can raise her chicks even with snow on the ground, the chicks can handle cold pretty well if they have a place to warm up. That outbuilding may be a real good choice.

Good luck and once again,

thanks for the welcome! This is the building...we are hoping to house goats in here eventually. But temporarily we could probably move them out there when they get too big to keep in here. I’m not sure I’d actually want it to be their permanent home.

 

[Sally PB]

You could double the size of your brooder by getting another dog crate and setting them end-to-end, with the doors open. Or side-by-side for the two door style. (I always have a use for dog crates, so getting another one doesn't seem like a waste to me!)

I used sheets of cardboard to line my dog crate/brooder so that the chicks couldn't get out between the bars. I had one of those big 250 watt heat lamps and as I needed to lower the temp, I raised it. Eventually it was chained/clamped/tied to my husband's camera tripod, so raising it was easy.

One thing about dog crates is there is a built in top on it. No need to worry about the flufferbums fluttering out. The bars are also handy for hanging stuff from, or sliding a stick/pole across as a roost.

Also... if you have any questions, just ask! We were all new to raising chicks at one time, so we all went through what you're going through. And people here know a lot and are nice!

And we have great emojis, too.

 

[Happy Helper]

Your building looks ideal for interim use. You would have to check ventilation and light and add some perches, etc. I'm sure you will get some ideas from our group as how to make it very nice for your chicks. They outgrow a small container almost in a week easily.