Raising chicks in the coop.

[FunClucks]

Be aware, every single surface will get coated with chicken dander. They shed heavily especially when growing. Also, they will perch at the highest point they can get to, so along your top most central beam. If you want to keep the chickens out of the rafters, you can run chicken wire to define the space they should stay in, and put a ceiling on it. Frame it out with 2"x4" and use chicken wire to partition. You could make a human work area or a brooder area, as well as using the rest for the coop. Chicken wire is great for keeping chickens in a defined location, easy to work with for that. Does nothing to protect against predators, but good to divide up interior spaces of coops and runs, and for temporary partitions. Also, I would seal your concrete and wood before you let them in there, or you will never get the poop smell out of the concrete, or the mites out of the wood if you happen to get them. Sealing the wood and concrete will make your life easier. Whitewash or outdoor paint or paint/epoxy with a slick surface easy to clean works for the wood. Garage floor sealant works for the floor. Then put your deep litter on top of the sealed floor - much easier to clean.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

Where are you located and when would you do this? I'm interested in your weather, especially temperatures. I assume these are your first chickens, no integration with older chickens involved.

My brooder is in the coop. I put chicks straight from the incubator or the post office in it, whether the outside temperature is below freezing or in the heat of summer. How I manage them varies depending on the temperatures. In colder temperatures I leave the heat on for five weeks. One summer when it was in the 90's Fahrenheit at night as a low I had the heat turned off at 4 days.

I think your idea of putting them in a brooder for a while is great. They'd probably be fine let out well before 4 weeks. I've had chicks raised by a broody hen and weaned at three weeks do great even with the older chickens around. They are much more capable than many people give them credit for. But there is nothing wrong with being careful either.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I’m going to plan to have multiple back ups to hang it so there is no fall risk and clean it once a week to keep dust off of it.

Another alternative is using non light based heat, this has the added advantage of not disrupting the natural day night cycle of your existing flock when you have a brood of chicks, but also allowing the chicks to start their natural day night cycle from day one because they are not under artificial light to receive the Heat

 

[debid]

I put mine in a grow out coop with an electric hen (DIY heat plate) on arrival. They get two days of homing with the pop door closed confining them to a smaller area with food/water/heat all nearby. And then they are given run access. It's all one level and the run is about 8' long. I have NEVER had a chick get confused about what to do when they need to warm up. They go outside regardless of temperature (it was 18F this morning and they were up and at it!) and back in to warm as needed. I've provided a roof to keep the rain off and some wind protection and they go out for exercise in all weather, all temperatures. It's absolutely fine, they're chickens, not freshly baked souffles.

Oh, and they have a big window so they get the day/night experience from the beginning. They instinctively know to load their crops as the light is fading. They don't suffer from being unable to eat/drink around the clock.

The most fascinating thing for me is seeing them able to speak chicken to the adults next door. I've watched a week old chick sound the aerial predator alarm and every chicken, regardless of age, freezes with an eye to the sky.