Outdoor brooder design?

[showbarnmom]

I have a rabbit hutch converted to a brooder for chicks. It's plenty warm outside for this. But I guess it's not secure enough. Lost 3 3wk old chicks last night. In the same cage(divided) was a 10wk old pullet. There were feathers from her in the wire, but small chicks no where to be found. Didn't see any signs of how the coon got them either.

It's a hutch from tractor supply, solid back, with 3 wire sides. Wire is 1x1 wire.

I want to raise chicks, as I am planning a breeding project, but want to be able to do so outside. Does anyone have any outside brooder cages? Can you show me pictures?

 

[johnmclaren]

 

[mithious]

Maybe the half inch wire is needed on the hutches? I don't have mine built yet, but my plan for next spring is to have them raised high and use the half inch hardware cloth...

Soo sorry you for your loss!!!!

Love the picture of that coop/brooder, nice!!!

 

[mithious]

I have a rabbit hutch converted to a brooder for chicks. It's plenty warm outside for this. But I guess it's not secure enough. Lost 3 3wk old chicks last night. In the same cage(divided) was a 10wk old pullet. There were feathers from her in the wire, but small chicks no where to be found. Didn't see any signs of how the coon got them either.

It's a hutch from tractor supply, solid back, with 3 wire sides. Wire is 1x1 wire.

I want to raise chicks, as I am planning a breeding project, but want to be able to do so outside. Does anyone have any outside brooder cages? Can you show me pictures?

by the way, rats and weasels can get through the 1 inch wire.

 

[showbarnmom]

Thanks John! I wish I had room for something that size. But I am thinking that is what I'm going to have to do.

 

[showbarnmom]

by the way, rats and weasels can get through the 1 inch wire.

They can. But we don't have either. Coons are in abundance here. We fight them daily in our feed areas. We have cattle and horses and they love sweet feed.

But they strike and unlike normal predators, don't return the next night to be trapped.

 

[mithious]

They can. But we don't have either. Coons are in abundance here. We fight them daily in our feed areas. We have cattle and horses and they love sweet feed.

But they strike and unlike normal predators, don't return the next night to be trapped.

I haven't seen any rats here yet, but we do have both weasels and coons here also. I'm gonna make mine with the four sides and roof wood...and make it high sided...also have small windows on it, made out of plexiglass with half inch hardware cloth behind the windows, so I can close them at night and have one side on hinges for access, ect....I have had an aweful time trying to trap the coons, even without the chickens here!!! They seem to know what a trap is and don't go near it. They get in my gardens. I close the coop windows at night for the chicks, just to be safe, even with the half inch hardware cloth and put chicken wire under the coop floor, with two floors and double walls. Tried to make a fort knox coop and gonna use the same method on the brooder houses and cement the bottom of runs and use the half inch wire at the bottom of the run and under ground as well!!! I also put the feed in galvinized garbage cans, inside a wooden box, with a padlock on it...coons are good at opening things, they have thumbs!!!

My compound bow works though

I'm also going to put the brooder boxes in the run, so double protection!!! Those pesky predators can be so smart when they are hungry, aye?

 

[showbarnmom]

I'm thinking I'm going to have to build coffin style boxes for brooders. Or use galvenised troughs with lids like the feed stores. I've got two coops made from old deer blinds. They have 2-4 layers of chicken wire over each window, plus drop sides over the windows. One has layers and one is a grow out pen. I had planned on section ing off a part of the grow out coop for broodies and chicks, but its just not big enough to do both. So back to the drawing board.

 

[mithious]

I'm thinking I'm going to have to build coffin style boxes for brooders. Or use galvenised troughs with lids like the feed stores. I've got two coops made from old deer blinds. They have 2-4 layers of chicken wire over each window, plus drop sides over the windows. One has layers and one is a grow out pen. I had planned on section ing off a part of the grow out coop for broodies and chicks, but its just not big enough to do both. So back to the drawing board.

Good luck with your new plans...I hear ya on the coffin method

Any way to add on to the coop you had planned on sectioning off? I know another member that put up two rows of electric wire around their coop, with the brooder box inside the coop also....worked for them!!!

 

[showbarnmom]

Electrics wire is a good idea......