Raising hatchlings outdoors

[Violanna]

Ok so I live in Texas with this heatwave. Our lows are currently high enough to be like a brooder. So I’m thinking about buying a cage/mini run to set up inside my large fenced in duck run as it has great shade. I will still have a heater set to a thermostat for nights. But I wanted to get opinions on this. I attached a picture of the run I’m planning to buy it’s 41x87 I will have my husband build a little enclosure inside that is easier to maintain a temp in. We just don’t have space inside right now for my usual brooder set up.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I do this, with a cardboard box as their "coop"with my heat boards inside the box, in a thing like you have (its a octagon though and has a covered top)

My run is preditor proof so I don't worry too much abt the littles...except for them squeezing through the bars...which they will and have in the past..I wait a wk now to put then out...so they can't fit...or you can fence around it...

I put a 10x10 pop up over top of it...and fence it in once they need more space...


The heat we had was warm enough throughout the day to keep the heat off...I only turned it on from 8pm-3am (when I leave for work)

They did just fine...and are apart of the flock now..

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Heres a link to the one I purchased....
https://www.amazon.com/NEZUC-Foldab...mzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc

 

[Violanna]

I do this, with a cardboard box as their "coop"with my heat boards inside the box, in a thing like you have (its a octagon though and has a covered top)

My run is preditor proof so I don't worry too much abt the littles...except for them squeezing through the bars...which they will and have in the past..I wait a wk now to put then out...so they can't fit...or you can fence around it...

I put a 10x10 pop up over top of it...and fence it in once they need more space...


The heat we had was warm enough throughout the day to keep the heat off...I only turned it on from 8pm-3am (when I leave for work)

They did just fine...and are apart of the flock now..

Omg I didn’t even THINK about using a box!! I still have a ton left from Prime Day shopping!! Thanks for the idea!!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Omg I didn’t even THINK about using a box!! I still have a ton left from Prime Day shopping!! Thanks for the idea!!

I love using the boxes, bc when I take down the divider, I put the box in the coop... since they are homed to the box it takes a lot less effort to home them to the coop....

They go in the box at night, which is in the coop and after awhile I remove the box....

Done deal!

 

[Violanna]

that’s great!! I wanted slightly larger run as i will be separating the males and females with a divider in the middle. Females will go to my in laws to join their flock and males will take over the run and be raised as meat birds. We already have enough Roos for now.