Outdoor brooder?

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Would an outdoor brooder be okay? As long as i keep the heat lamp on and they are in there around march? My coop is very secure, only 2 slider windows for ventilation... that i could keep shut.. (i have a giant coop and only 2 chickens... so they will be fine with less ventilation...) And they would be in a rabbit hutch or birdcage..) I would also like to know if sand is okay to be in with the chicks?

 

[shuizar209]

I would def put in some type of draft guard.

 

[pkw]

My chicken house is pretty big and yes I have my brooder in the chicken house. You will need to make sure where you will brooding your baby chicks is draft free.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

You can see our outdoor brooder on my page. Works for us.

 

[Tala]

I rarely keep chicks in past 2 weeks of age. Can't stand the dust. I've put chicks straight from TSC into my big doghouse brooder.

I've got several set-ups that I use:

Doghouse, with ceramic light socket installed in the roof

My first chicken tractor. The run part detaches and makes a great brooder with a 3-sided shelter

And the doghouse from the tractor also broods chicks quite well, especially in colder weather when I don't have them on the grass (inside view)

More details on my BYC Page https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=27985-chicken-tractor

 

[kandooshe]

let them out and it will be fine

 

[blue_egg_lover]

I'm doing an outside brooder too in mid March. Turning an old rabbit hutch into one. Still sorting out the final touches on it and expanding it out a bit.

 

[dacasodivine]

I'm going to try to brood my next batch outdoors from the start. I have 3 week-olds right now. I moved them outside when they were 2 1/2 weeks old. They have 2 lamps but when a cold front came through, the temps dropped into the mid 20s! I have a thermometer in there showing it got down to around 60 degrees where the chicks were and they did just fine. I checked on them several times thinking they had to be cold but they seemed very content.

They are delicate, yes, but not nearly as delicate as we think.

Good luck and have fun with them.

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Im gonna do it with a bird cage, a rabbit hutch, or a box.. The heat lamp will be on until they get older and then they will have access to there own little run