Putting a chick brooder in the chicken coop?? Advice and Photos please!!

[ChickenSkool]

I am planning on 25 chicks. 22 will be Cornish Rock, 3 will be Columbian Wyandotte - those 3 are the ones I would try to put with a broody if possible so they could just grow up in the layer flock and not have to be integrated later. I don't have a rooster. The Cornish Rocks will (hopefully according to my "plan") go from the brooder to a tractor or other separate area to move around my yard. I'm just having trouble picturing how much space is needed for those chicks before they are ready to move outside, and also for a broody with a few chicks (if I am so fortunate at the time). But I do have at least one Silver-laced Wyandotte with broody tendencies, so I am thinking that maybe in the spring she will be into it even more. I have read that a broody can handle more chicks, but I was just thinking to keep the layers more separate from the Cornish Rocks and only give her those 3.

So regarding the dog crate, do you mean that the broody hen was in there too with the chicks? I guess broody hens is one area that I haven't read all about yet, because of no rooster and I wasn't really thinking of being able to do chicks that way until recent info has caught my eye.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

So regarding the dog crate, do you mean that the broody hen was in there too with the chicks? I guess broody hens is one area that I haven't read all about yet, because of no rooster and I wasn't really thinking of being able to do chicks that way until recent info has caught my eye.

I didn't have a broody so it was just my chicks. I also have never dealt with cornishX chicks but due to their rapid growth rate I think they would outgrow the dog crate too quickly.

 

[breege]

I brood out in the barn, or in the garage. Never, inside. The dust and smells are too allergic for me.

Depending on how big you want to go, there are designs galore. It is important not to allow the younger chicks to escape nor allow the older birds to invade the brooder. Other than that, any good size box "thing" will do. I've even used my utility trailer on a number of occasions. Worked great.

Also used this grow out pen. Drug it into the garage and threw some blankets over it. Hatched on Christmas Day, way up here, so had to brood them right through Zero weather. They did fine. Ingenuity is required, that's all. There's no one size fits all. LOL

Grow out pen





Brooding in Utility trailer


Trailer back in use as trailer.


Grow Out Pen pressed into service as brooder



Just fine. Even in Zero weather

I brood out in the barn, or in the garage. Never, inside. The dust and smells are too allergic for me.

Depending on how big you want to go, there are designs galore. It is important not to allow the younger chicks to escape nor allow the older birds to invade the brooder. Other than that, any good size box "thing" will do. I've even used my utility trailer on a number of occasions. Worked great.

Also used this grow out pen. Drug it into the garage and threw some blankets over it. Hatched on Christmas Day, way up here, so had to brood them right through Zero weather. They did fine. Ingenuity is required, that's all. There's no one size fits all. LOL

Grow out pen





Brooding in Utility trailer


Trailer back in use as trailer.


Grow Out Pen pressed into service as brooder



Just fine. Even in Zero weather

I realize this is an older post, but I really like your grow-out pen! How many chicks can it handle & to what age?