Show me your temporary in-coop box for mom and chicks

[SnootyHen]

Can I see pictures of your temporary housing for mama-brooded chicks? I want to keep them inside the coop but I also prefer not to have food or water in the coop so they need to be able to come and go from it to get to the attached run where the food and water are. I considered a dog crate so the chicks could get in and out but bigger hens couldn't but that would lock Mama in/out. I've only ever brooded chicks in the house and want to give my broody a chance to play mom this spring. It will very likely be the one and only time so I don't need anything elaborate or permanent.

I was considering just a rubbermaid tote on it's side but will the chicks fall out? Show me what you have used please and thank you!

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I use plastic dog kennels in the RUN not inside the coop. Plastic mesh to make a door/chick ramp, and this all goes inside a plastic mesh barrier fence for the 1-2 weeks. Right now this is set up beside the run not in it, but I've had same system inside the run before. My coop isn't big enough for it to go inside, and I would be very nervous about days-old chicks inside a squishy coop where things can get fractious between the adults. Once chicks are over a week old I don't really worry much about them so long as their mama is half decent.

 

[airynn]

On my silkie coop I don’t worry at all and everyone is great to the chicks. In the standard size chicken coop I use a board to separate mama and babies for a week but I like the idea of a dog kennel in the run.