room in my brooder??

[Rooster8402]

I got 13 RIR and 13 Buff O's I built a 2 lvl brooder I believer there is 10 to 15 square foot of space in the the entire brooder is this enough room for the 26 chicks to finish feathering. they will be 3 weeks old on monday the 30th and from what I've read they have to remain in the booder til they are fully feathered. I shut the heat lamp off at night because they hardly use it anywayits about 60-70 degrees in our house we check them every morning to make sure they don't have a chill and none of them are shivering even after the heat lamp has been off for 6-7 hours. it apear's that they will out grow the brooder in the next week or so but I am new to raising chickens so I don't know if an area of 10-15 sq ft in enough room ror them to live comfotably for another 2-3 weeks.
if its not my coop is done though it is cold at night and 50+ degree's during the day here
If I built a larger brood box in the coop and left the heat lamp on day and night with them having acess to the very large coop it is ventilated but not insulated yet I was going to insulate it before next winter. I'm between a roch and a hard place because the only place I have to build a larger brood box is in the coop. everything in me says not to put them in the coop until 4-5 weeks of age but I think they will be in a cramped space in a week or so. any input would be a great help and thanks in advanced

 

[debilorrah]

I have good news for you! The standard is 4 square feet of space for every chicken (not chicks, chickens) and you have 150 square feet and only need 104.

 

[Judy]

I'm going to watch this thread because I'd like to know, too.

I have read 1.5 sq ft per bird for 8-10 weeks, and I have read 3/4 sq. ft. per bird.

I suspect if they look crowded to you then they probably are.

I don't think most people insulate, though some do.

A couple of scrounged freezer boxes or the like and a couple of heat lamps, maybe???

 

[Rooster8402]

thank you for your response's but the brooder that I have for them to stay in for the next 2-3 weeks is only 10sq ft or 15 sq ft I'm not exactly sure which it is but it is no more than 15 sq ft they don't look crouded yet but I'm not sure if in the next 2 weeks or so they might be crouded but if I need 104 sq ft for 26 chicks then it will be too small for them to stay in for the time needed to finish feathering. thank you so much for the info

 

[Judy]

104 sq ft is for 26 full grown chickens. The figures I gave were intended for brooding babies, up to 10 weeks. Guess debiraymond misread that one.

I had hoped you would get more replies here; I suspect there is a lot of variation in how much sq footage people allow in their brooders.

 

[Rooster8402]

I know I thought so also I'm just such a noob its not funny... well sometime's it is lol. yea my coop is 6ftX12ftX6ft. I've been told it would be good for 90 adults but I don't think I'll house more than 40 in there but it cold at night here still adn I didn't want to move them out in the coop untill they were in full feathers

 

[Omran]

Yesterday I asked the same ??? and I had a real good help, thanks every one.

Today I put all my chicks in the coop with no brooder and left the 250w heat lamp in one corner about 24" from the floor and the chicks seem to be very happy, they are also 3 weeks old and 26 of them.

so you can do it too no worry about the brooder if your coop well insulated nd draft free.

Good Luck.

Omran.

 

[Rooster8402]

exellent Omran thank you the only thing is the coop isn't insulated and it has natural venting so to speak lol I will be vetilating it in september before it starts getting cold I'll have to let them ride it out in the brooder and see how close to 4 weeks they can stay in there if they do end up looking crouded I'll move to plan B or is it plan C hmmm might even be plan D lol

 

[the_great_snag]

put up a draft fence in your coop with a couple inches of bedding. Then hang a couple heat lamps over it and observe your chicks to make sure they are comfortable.

McMurray sells a draft shield that is essentially a roll of corrugated carboard abotu 18 inches wide. You stand it on edge in a circle and voila, a draft shield!

It sounds as if your current arrangement will rapidly become far too small for your birds.

 

[Rooster8402]

I agree snag thank you for the tip I'm going to keep an eye on the weather but I'm thinking that warmer days are in our future so I'll give them til wednsday and then set them up out there thanks again for all the help