Starter Pen - five (nearly) 4 week old chicks

[redinator]

I came up with this idea after looking for a suitable starter pen for my chicks. I needed something temporary and easy to move around rather than having to clean it every few days. To make the house easier to clean only one side of the roof is screwed on. Getting them to go in the house was a bit tricky at first until I scattered their favorite treat (shredded cheese) on the floor inside. (They only get the cheese when I need them to cooperate)

I have a second pen (without the dog house) still indoors since the nights are are still too chilly and they aren't fully feathered yet. The indoor pen has a piece of thick cardboard under it with a layer of jute brooder liners over that to make clean up easy.

Here are the links in case anyone is looking for something similar>>
Pen: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00859JJPA?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_4
House: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OLYD62?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3&th=1
Brooder Liners: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRJYNVB5?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1

 

[cavemanrich]

What are your plans for permanent housing once the chicks reach maturity???

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[redinator]

What are your plans for permanent housing once the chicks reach maturity???

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I'm in the process of putting together a 9x18 enclosure if the weather cooperates I'll be completed tomorrow. We have a few predators to worry about so I'm more concerned with securing the perimeter of the enclosure first. I went with this set up because it can be put inside the enclosure and the chicks can be let out into the enclosure and have plenty of space to roam and scratch while being protected from the predators and elements with the house.

I'm still looking at coop ideas, but we get a good bit of wet weather here and so I defiantly want one that's elevated aside from that I'm still figuring it out. I may repurpose the house as a nest box and stack a couple to start.

I'm also planning to get a few more chicks (this year) or pullets (next year) once I know what genders I currently have. I just don't want to go all out on nest boxes if I have 1 hen and 4 roosters, or worse all roosters, lol.

 

[cavemanrich]

I do like to throw out ideas. Have you considered using a garden shed as your coop?? Some conversion needed. But easy to accomplish.
I suggest a walkin height, with ground soil as floor. If coop is on an elevated portion of ground,, it will be fine.

 

[redinator]

I do like to throw out ideas. Have you considered using a garden shed as your coop?? Some conversion needed. But easy to accomplish.
I suggest a walkin height, with ground soil as floor. If coop is on an elevated portion of ground,, it will be fine.

After joining this site I quickly realized the prefab coops are overpriced and undersized.

I've been looking at the various coop designs on here, but haven't settled on one yet.

I was thinking about converting our current metal shed, but it gets blistering hot in the summer and the roof leaks. I'm considering taking it apart and using the panels as wind breaks on the outside of the enclosure. If I do that I'll need smaller storage units for the various things I keep in the shed (power tools, yard tools etc.) but it'll give me more space for the chickens

I put their enclosure in the shadiest part of our yard. It's going together really easy and is light enough (when I remove the ground anchors) that I can move it to a different location if their current area gets too wet/muddy. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQT3FG98?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1