questions on making a brooder inside the coop

[Ridgerunner]

Thank you for the photos. I'm not the least bit concerned that you will have enough light in there. They don't need it bright at all, they just need to be able to see enough to eat and drink. One potential cause of pecking or cannibalism in a brooder is that it is too darn bright. Some people on the forum seem to think it needs to be blindingly bright, that's not been my experience.

With a month to go I'd build it to custom fit the area. The hardest part is the door. Screw a couple of 2x4's together and lay that on the floor in front to make a "sill" to tie to. Having a sill will raise the door up a bit above the bedding. Frame your brooder in and cover with hardware cloth or even chicken wire. You are inside so predator proof is not a criteria.

I suspect one problem is that you don't trust your building skills. A lot of people don't. There are a lot of u-tube videos and how-to articles out there that can help. Building a shed might be a good search for examples. It doesn't have to be pretty or strong, just enough to keep the chicks in and the adults out. Instead of fencing you could use netting.

Another problem might be that you don't have the tools you need. They can be expensive to buy and you may not know what exactly to get. I could build this with a saw and a screw driver, you probably could too but it can be intimidating. A stapler should be enough to put the netting or wire on. It's easy for me to see how to do this but probably not for you.

If you can find a pen that will fit under there, that can work too. You are in the coop. Predators and weather shouldn't be a problem. It doesn't take that much.

 

[junior67]

Thank you for the photos. I'm not the least bit concerned that you will have enough light in there. They don't need it bright at all, they just need to be able to see enough to eat and drink. One potential cause of pecking or cannibalism in a brooder is that it is too darn bright. Some people on the forum seem to think it needs to be blindingly bright, that's not been my experience.

With a month to go I'd build it to custom fit the area. The hardest part is the door. Screw a couple of 2x4's together and lay that on the floor in front to make a "sill" to tie to. Having a sill will raise the door up a bit above the bedding. Frame your brooder in and cover with hardware cloth or even chicken wire. You are inside so predator proof is not a criteria.

I suspect one problem is that you don't trust your building skills. A lot of people don't. There are a lot of u-tube videos and how-to articles out there that can help. Building a shed might be a good search for examples. It doesn't have to be pretty or strong, just enough to keep the chicks in and the adults out. Instead of fencing you could use netting.

Another problem might be that you don't have the tools you need. They can be expensive to buy and you may not know what exactly to get. I could build this with a saw and a screw driver, you probably could too but it can be intimidating. A stapler should be enough to put the netting or wire on. It's easy for me to see how to do this but probably not for you.

If you can find a pen that will fit under there, that can work too. You are in the coop. Predators and weather shouldn't be a problem. It doesn't take that much.

Thanks. It is more the time needed. I may have enough time on Saturdays depending on what is going on but weather has still been cold here and between work and kids sports we have been going 7 days a week. My husband does HVAC and does projects around the house so tools are no problem. We built the run and coop so skills are no problem. Just time and since it won't be something used often the exercise pen was easier since I can remove it easy and store it. It can also be moved to the run and used out there for them.

 

[junior67]

Here are pictures I took today with my phone of under the poop boards.

 

[junior67]

the 18" exercise pen was in stock so I ordered it today! Should have it tomorrow but won't have chicks for 4 weeks still but wasn't taking a chance of them not having it later.

I use a MHP for heat for them. I have a 12x24" heating pad. Should I use 2 of them for anywhere from 14-20 chicks? (not sure how many will hatch and how soon I will give away extras) or would 1 be enough?

 

[junior67]

@aart what do you think for size?

 

[aart]

@aart what do you think for size?

I use a MHP for heat for them. I have a 12x24" heating pad. Should I use 2 of them for anywhere from 14-20 chicks? (not sure how many will hatch and how soon I will give away extras) or would 1 be enough?

I'd use 2, placed end to end, with access front/back/ends.

What does your MHP look like?

 

[junior67]

I'd use 2, placed end to end, with access front/back/ends.

What does your MHP look like?

Here are some pictures from last year. It was taken apart once they were done with it but doing the same thing this year.

So the short ends together? since it is under the poop boards it is only 2' wide so it will either have to go basically the whole side to side so be 24" x24 or long ends so it is 12x48. unless I overlap the heating pads to make it smaller. Or get a smaller heating pad to make the 2nd one smaller.

 

[aart]

Here are some pictures from last year. It was taken apart once they were done with it but doing the same thing this year

A single one might work if you get rid of extra chicks before they outgrow it.
I've kept 16 chicks under a single 12x24, they barely fit once they were big enough to be off heat. Of course the ambient temps can make a difference in timing.

 

[junior67]

A single one might work if you get rid of extra chicks before they outgrow it.
I've kept 16 chicks under a single 12x24, they barely fit once they were big enough to be off heat. Of course the ambient temps can make a difference in timing.

ok. I have 8 ordered (only keeping 5 of these but last year I ended up with 2 roos and one passed away so got doubles of every breed JIC so may keep these till I can tell hen or roo), hopping to get to another feed store near me that has some breeds that mine doesn't but the other feed store is first come first serve. I only want 3 from there but they have a min of 6 so need to find a home for the other 3 (IF I can get them). And I am setting eggs to hatch around that time. setting 10 eggs but no clue how many will hatch since this is my first time trying to hatch, they are all from the same hen so the eggs will range from fresh to 2 weeks old. but with those I am trying for a certain color so if I can tell when they hatch I will give away any not that color at a few days old. So guessing by the time they are a week or two old I will be down to 15 tops maybe less depending on the hatch rate.

Our average temps when I get them should be mid 50- high 60 in the days and 30's to 40's at night, By the time they are 2-3 weeks old it settles more into mid to high 60's and 40's at night. We may have warmer temps in there as well. Last time I brooded indoors and they were off the heat by 3-4 weeks but it was still on 1 (it has 9 heat settings) in case they needed it. Not sure how long they will use it outdoors.

 

[MarkButcher]

Ok. So I have 8 chickens right now (7 pullets and 1 cockerel). I am getting more chicks in April. Instead of brooding them inside and trying to integrate them I would like to "build" a brooder inside my coop. I have a poop board with roost in there. It is an L shape so about 8' long on one wall and I think 3' on the other wall. it is 2' wide and 2' high (with no shavings I think is how I did it, maybe 30" with no shavings?). Can I push up some HWC blocking the space under this with a door so I can get to them, maybe make it a bit smaller to start so they don't have the whole space to run in) and use that space for a brooder so the bigger chickens can get used to them the whole time? I used a dog crate last year, but my puppy is using it this year so I can't use that even in there....... I can get some pictures if needed. I would also like to try to hatch out some chicks hopefully if I have a broody (or possibly get an incubator but think ti would be easier to integrate if I had a broody so guess we will see). And would like to use part of under the roost for her nest to raise the babies at first as well. Right now the posts holding the poop boards up go at an angle from the edge of the poop board to the wall so too hard for anything good size to walk under it so thinking I will move those going straight down so that space under is completely open.

Does anyone have something like this set up? a brooder under poop boards? I know I still have time but it is still quite cold here right now but want to plan and have it all figured out so I can build when I do my full coop clean out as soon as it warms up.

I'm not exactly able to guess you've got enough space for your project, but in concept, it IS a bit easier to integrate your young pullets into the flock that way. I'd only say as to the coop and brooder size, unless you've got electricity out in your coop, you'll still need to supply them with whatever heat source for the 1st month or so, and keep them segregated from the flock for at least 2 or 3 months, which means your booder area is going to be fairly good sized to accommodate your growing young pullets towards the end of your time frames for integrating them into your flock.