Not really a coop but I have a question....

[theoldchick]

Would this do for a temporary chick corral? I'm getting 15 day old JG on Wednesday and plan to keep them in this for a week or two before they graduate to a big giant metal wire covered corral out in the coop.

 

[ranchhand]

That will certainly work for a week. But be very careful about the humongous bulb setting fire to the cardboard. I use a red, 100 watt outdoor flood now in stead of the 250 watt beast. Found the flood at an Ace Hardware store. It just means I start with the lamp lower.

I like to put down multiple layer of paper towels, so each day I can take up a layer or two and not have to add any under the wildly milling about demons.

Congrats on the JGs, I like them!

 

[patandchickens]

More or less fine, with a few modifications:

1) where ya going to hang the light, and what wattage? You will have to be pretty careful not to use too high-wattage a bulb (probably NOT an actual heat lamp!) because it will be so near to that cardboard -- make sure you have experimented with different riggings and got it so that a thermometer placed at chick level is approximately the right temperature LONG BEFORE the chicks arrive. Hang it closer to one end of the brooder than the other, because it's important to have both a too-warm area AND a too-cool area, so that chicks can regulate their temperature by where they choose to hang out.

2) you will need a lid, perhaps chickenwire; once chicks get to be a week or so old, they will be able to get out of there (hop onto the waterers, then flutter/hop over the box sides) and they will chill and die outside of the brooder. After about 2 wks of age they will actually be *flying* out

3) how many chicks is this for? You really don't need *two* waterers unless you are going to be getting more chicks than should really be in that size brooder anyhow. (Sorry, I'm not sure whether you mean you're getting 'some' 15-day-old chicks, or 15 one-day-old chicks

) The extra waterer will only be a source of spills and more work to clean and refill.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[theoldchick]

Thanks for the suggestions-I thought the light bulb was a bit too much, too. My fear is fire. The two waterers are just for show-I use one while the other is being cleaned and sterilized. I'm getting 15 one day old chicks and this is only a temporary set up. I have much larger metal oblong container with a wire lid latched on to it. Once the chicks are several weeks old the oblong container will be tipped on its size to provide 'security' for the new explorers in a heated coop. Now, I have to find the tops for the feeders!

Thanks again for the suggestions!

 

[BrattishTaz]

I would definately get a cover for the box.

 

[teach1rusl]

Has nothing to do with your question because others have addressed it. But that pic of you holding that humongous jg chick has started me longing to try a few...

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Oh, I love my JGs. Lordy, I do. Such friendly, huge (and I mean HUGE) birds. Slow to mature, but that's okay. I want to get more, because I hatched six and only got two pullets out of that bunch. The four roosters are gentle fellows. Gorgeous. Friendly.

You'll love JGs.

 

[Arielle]

Now i'm longing for a JG, too. It was on my original list and was dropped--not enough space.

About the hanging heat lamp. Use 2 separate hanging systems, in case one fails. We also used 2 heating lamps at one end of the rectangle, in case one stopped working; our house can get very cold in the 4-6 am time. Maybe your house doesn't get so cold. Just a thought.