Show me your Grow out pen!

[Liz Birdlover]

There's one of those sitting out in front of a yard for free taking. I may get it, if I can convince my dad to stop so I can get a look at it.

Go for it! Even if it may be messed up, you can still utilize. I once found a bunch of wire panels in trash, there were no side supports, so my dad & I built supports with treated lumber. Sorry no photo, as this was many yrs ago, but it worked well.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Go for it! Even if it may be messed up, you can still utilize. I once found a bunch of wire panels in trash, there were no side supports, so my dad & I built supports with treated lumber. Sorry no photo, as this was many yrs ago, but it worked well.

It looks brand new actually. Thinking they planned to get chickens, but then decided not too.

 

[ccredeur]

I use a prefab for chicks, after they graduate from the brooder. I grow them out till they're to big for it, & move them to a bantam coop to grow up half the size of adult birds before I move them to their adult coops. Easier to introduce young birds when they're about the size of the mature birds.

I upgraded this year.View attachment 3072321View attachment 3072322I had a smaller one then this originally, but got rid of it. Got really weather worn, plus it was pretty small.

I like this a lot! I have a small rabbit hutch similar that is working great for the babies. I can close the inside off until they're a few weeks old and when they get a bit bigger I open it up and they have about three foot of open "run" space then another couple feet under the actual coop part. It works perfect. But its way to small for the 8+ week olds.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/trixie-natura-animal-hutch-with-outdoor-run

Thats mine. I got it for $40 on clearance. I ended up buying two and put one outside and it rotted in like ten minutes lol.

 

[ccredeur]

I created a separate coop & pen space for mama & chicks, using a few 2x8 wire panels & made the temporary "wall & door" so they did share coop space getting used to eachother but no could get pecked or bullied. Their pen space was right next door to other pens full of adult chickens, so they all saw & heard eachother as they grew...made it easy to move them in with eachother later.

I have a few Pet Gazebos, they also can act as cages within the pens, when I shut the doors. Then once grown, the Gazebo doors stay open, so it's a shady place to perch, all chickens love them, I adjust the perch height accordingly.

You could use any type of dog cage enclosures probably, they have several types. I chose the octagon shaped gazebo, because I can actually get inside, pick the whole thing up by the perch, & move/walk it anywhere, all by myself. I also use them as my movable tractors this way! Strength yet portability & versatility...My only gripe, the top canopies only last about 2 yrs in the weather. The company Advantek was awesome & replaced them, as they were still under warranty, but I'm going to make something better myself. I don't think Any fabric will hold up long term. Just thought I'd share that...yes the metal makes for a product easy to clean with longevity, but the tops won't hold up long, at least not with my weather here...100 degree hot July days, below freezing January nights, alot of sun, rain, snow, hail, etc.


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Thats very very nice! And a good idea. Thank you!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

It looks brand new actually. Thinking they planned to get chickens, but then decided not too.

It's kind of funny but when I got my 1st house and would walk my dog around the neighborhood, I couldn't help but see what people were tossing in their trash. I was in my 20s. I already had a childhood where when dad and I took a load to the dump, we'd trash pick, and often bring a load of stuff back to the garage to refinish. That was before the word "repurposing" was used, lol, It was that long ago, They don't let you pick through trash at the dump anymore. Anyway, on my dog walks, I found some amazing things that people would throw out, and I would knock on their door and ask them, do you mind if I come pick that up? And of course they never minded, because they weren't sure if the trash man was going to take it anyway. I got an old vacuum cleaner, solid metal Hoover, that thing must be from the 1960s! Let me tell you that thing still works like a charm! They were built to last! Just don't accidentally stub your toe on it!
Lots of furniture, solid wood, if anything is solid wood, grab it, because everything they make these days is that horrible, particle board. Solid wood can be sanded, refinished, restained or painted, and redesigned with new handles. Just because it looks outdated in the trash does not mean you can't refinish it and make it a beautiful piece, better than today's particle board crap. In my opinion anything that stays out of the landfill and can be utilized for something else is always a good thing. Then when you spend time on it yourself, refinishing it, that takes on an even deeper meaning, Something useful that YOU gave a new life to, plus had fun being creative.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I like this a lot! I have a small rabbit hutch similar that is working great for the babies. I can close the inside off until they're a few weeks old and when they get a bit bigger I open it up and they have about three foot of open "run" space then another couple feet under the actual coop part. It works perfect. But its way to small for the 8+ week olds.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/trixie-natura-animal-hutch-with-outdoor-run

Thats mine. I got it for $40 on clearance. I ended up buying two and put one outside and it rotted in like ten minutes lol.

Glad you like it.

 

[ccredeur]

I've been using this pen in the run and have a section of the coop walled off with garden fencing. With the chicks bigger now I had to fence off more of the run to give them more room.
Big pain to crawl through the door to shoo the chicks into a pet carrier to put them in the coop at night.

I thought about getting one of these, too, but my concern was getting them all picked back up at night. And letting them out in the morning. I do all my morning chicken chores before the sun rises so I need easy lol.

 

[Lor]

I like this a lot! I have a small rabbit hutch similar that is working great for the babies. I can close the inside off until they're a few weeks old and when they get a bit bigger I open it up and they have about three foot of open "run" space then another couple feet under the actual coop part. It works perfect. But its way to small for the 8+ week olds.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/trixie-natura-animal-hutch-with-outdoor-run

Thats mine. I got it for $40 on clearance. I ended up buying two and put one outside and it rotted in like ten minutes lol.

That was a good deal!
They don't seem to be made to use outdoors.

 

[Lor]

I thought about getting one of these, too, but my concern was getting them all picked back up at night. And letting them out in the morning. I do all my morning chicken chores before the sun rises so I need easy lol.

It's a huge pain and I'm over it. Can't wait for them to be fully integrated with the older hens.

 

[3KillerBs]

I've done it several ways:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mini-coop-or-integration-pen-from-a-large-dog-crate.76593/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-firstfruits.1514301/post-25582129

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/24979435

I'm going to be doing something with pallets and random wire to make a place to separate out cull cockerels for growing up to an appropriate size for slaughter.