Question: where do you keep the newly hatched chicks?

[claud]

I buy the oversized plastic totes(easy to clean) and put them in a small bathroom off of my garage. If you put them in a small room there's less dust to clean. I never hatch before Easter. As soon as they're feathered and the weather is ok they are out.

 

[d_rooster]

Last spring when I started with baby chicks from the local feed store, I kept them in a rabbit cage in my sunroom until they reached about 7-8 weeks old. Those last few weeks were a challenge for cleanup from dust, little feathers, and chicken poo.

I had grandiose dreams of raising my chickens in a chicken tractor that I would move around the yard daily. Well, I did build the chicken tractor, but the construction turned out too sturdy and heavy to move easily, even with lawn mower wheels attached.

I eventually upgraded all of my chickens to 10 ft x 10 ft kennels. Now I've found a new use for the chicken tractor as a brooder and starter coop for this year. The tractor measures 4 ft Wide x 12 ft Long. The little coop portion is 4ft x 4ft. Right now my broody hen and her 9 chicks are housed in this tractor. When the broody was sitting her half of the eggs I added straw and a heat lamp. For the first week after the chicks hatched I kept the coop door opening sealed with wheat straw to prevent any drafts. I doubled her babies within three days of her hatch by giving her the incubator chicks (5) that were about one day behind the ones she hatched. At about 1 week after hatching, I opened up the door to the coop so broody hen could access some fresh air and sunshine. They still have the heat lamp to keep things cozy when they are not under broody mom's bottom. I think the chicks are about 2 weeks old now and are following their mom on short walks into the run area of the tractor. When mom moves, they move. When mom pecks dirt, they peck dirt. It's just amazing to watch the chicks with their surrogate mother. Anyway, my chicks have the advantage of a mom to round them up and make sure they are kept warm even if the heat lamp were to go out. Our temps here in South Carolina are still relatively mild with day time temps in the 50s and 60s and nights in the 30s to 50s, but January (our only month that comes close to being winter) has yet to start. I'll keep an eye on the temps and if things dip below thirty or it gets very windy, I can always close the door opening between the coop and run of the tractor until things get better.

 

[BamaChicken]

I have a plastic tote that i put in a deep utility sink in laundry room with a clamp light. I start them in that for a week or two depending on how many are in the hatch. Then next they go to Wooden brooder boxes that have light bulb wiring on the inside and I put 100 watt bulb to start with and then downsize the wattage as they feather in. They vents on the sides and are up on legs which makes easy for tending. I have two medium size ones and one really large one that I can leave them in until they are three months old if nessecary. The brooder boxes are in a storage work house we have.

 

[ozark hen]

I really liked the idea of the old rabbit cages. I use plastic totes but like this other better, especially with the hardware wire around it and I like the idea of putting it on legs so there is not so much bending over. Great ideas fellow bycer's