questions on making a brooder inside the coop

[McChooky]

I attached a 4 x 4 raised coop to the side of the main run for a brooder for baby chicks and broody hens.I still have to add a clean out door and a door to the main run(I'll save this part for last)I also have an old truck topper with windows I'm using as a grow out pen .The truck topper will be converted to a coop soon as they're old enough to roost.The only thing that separates thee main flock from the chicks is hardware cloth.They'll be able to see and hear them from day 1 so integration should be easier.They're the same breed too.

 

[junior67]

I attached a 4 x 4 raised coop to the side of the main run for a brooder for baby chicks and broody hens.I still have to add a clean out door and a door to the main run(I'll save this part for last)I also have an old truck topper with windows I'm using as a grow out pen .The truck topper will be converted to a coop soon as they're old enough to roost.The only thing that separates thee main flock from the chicks is hardware cloth.They'll be able to see and hear them from day 1 so integration should be easier.They're the same breed too.

I have mine under the poop boards in my coop with a dog playpen making their brooder. so hoping integration is nice and easy once the time comes. I just need to get "strong" and put them out there. haahaa. I always think it will be no big deal until the time comes then I get nervous and hold off a bit.

 

[junior67]

I also just gave my broody some real eggs so maybe waiting a few days (she has already been full on broody for just about a week) is a good thing anyways. Hoping adding the chicks into the coop doesn't mess her up.

 

[McChooky]

I don't know that I'd add eggs under her at the same time your adding chicks. It may make her go off the nest.

 

[junior67]

hopefully it doesn't. But I put eggs in the incubator today as well so if she breaks from being broody (I am not giving her chicks but they will also be in the coop) then I will just put the eggs in the incubator as planned before she went broody.

 

[McChooky]

I admire your determination. How many chickens are you wanting to add?

 

[McChooky]

I tested my roosters fertility by putting some eggs in a diy incubator. He's mating the girls and a couple of the eggs are viable. I've got baby chicks coming next month the same breed as my flock.My hens will go nuts when I add baby chicks to the brooder I just built (its attached to the run)

 

[junior67]

I admire your determination. How many chickens are you wanting to add?

well I have an inside brooder full of them. haahaa. Is it bad I am not sure how many are in there? I think there are 16 in there. LOL some aren't mine (5 of them I picked up for someone else), then I got some "extras" since last year one of my daughters favorites passed away at 9 weeks old, and then I ended up with 2 roosters from my pullet order.. so in case that happens again I got 2 of some of them that I only wanted 1 of. I will keep 7 or 8 that are in the brooder and then hopefully I can hatch 2 splash pullets that I will keep. The rest I will find new homes for.

Mine has been mating the girls since Sept. figured I would have fertilized eggs but 2 batches in the incubator didn't develop.... had to do some butt trimming so hoped that helped, but before I could really check the eggs she went broody (I am only trying to hatch one girls eggs and she is the one that went broody so only got 3 eggs a few days after butt trimming so fingers crossed that worked!) But then I ordered some BBS cochin eggs (what I am trying to hatch) to add to the ones I have.

 

[McChooky]

well I have an inside brooder full of them. haahaa. Is it bad I am not sure how many are in there? I think there are 16 in there. LOL some aren't mine (5 of them I picked up for someone else), then I got some "extras" since last year one of my daughters favorites passed away at 9 weeks old, and then I ended up with 2 roosters from my pullet order.. so in case that happens again I got 2 of some of them that I only wanted 1 of. I will keep 7 or 8 that are in the brooder and then hopefully I can hatch 2 splash pullets that I will keep. The rest I will find new homes for.

Mine has been mating the girls since Sept. figured I would have fertilized eggs but 2 batches in the incubator didn't develop.... had to do some butt trimming so hoped that helped, but before I could really check the eggs she went broody (I am only trying to hatch one girls eggs and she is the one that went broody so only got 3 eggs a few days after butt trimming so fingers crossed that worked!) But then I ordered some BBS cochin eggs (what I am trying to hatch) to add to the ones I have.

Last year I ordered 6 baby chicks so I built them a coop(big enough for 6 chickens) nest boxes and a grow out pen .While they were feathering out I built them a run. By the time I got it all finished they were laying.This year I ordered 8 more chicks ...

 

[McChooky]

I promised myself I would stop at 6.