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- #21
@azygous has a wonderful set-up for brooding chicks outdoors too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/
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This is multi use.
I use it in the big coop as a brooder, to take pullets to swaps, as a hospital spot in the coop, and for a see but no touch introduction cage in the coop.
I kept my 6 chicks inside and started putting them outside in a smallish dog crate for a few hours a day at 2 weeks. Then, around 4 weeks I let them stay outside in a large dog crate almost all day, but they slept inside. Now, at 6 weeks they are outside in the big dog crate untill we finish the coop.
Not sure if you're still looking for ideas and ours isn't a permanent brooder but we just dragged an XL dog crate out into our coop and used a MHP to keep them warm. So far it's worked really well for us and once they outgrow the crate we'll just collapse it and give them the full run of the coop.
I will post some pictures when I get home.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I appreciate all the ideas. It's helping me form more of an idea. Even though just today I was told no you need to keep them inside. Thank you for the proof that I don't need to!!!This is the best outdoor brooder there is.
Nothing to build, she sat and hatched in the coop. No heat pad required. No special drinkers or feeders and she gets the protection of her mother and her mothers tribe.
The chick is three days old.
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