Temporary Home Sweet Home

[unbaked pegga]

I have 1 Orpington hen left since a raccoon got in the run and killed all but her last fall. I am going to be getting 3 Orpington chicks with a hatch date ~May 15th. The weather will be nice enough to leave them out in the pen and I also have a brooder lamp if need be. The adult hen uses that run as well and also I would need access to the chicks in order to take care of them. I have tried to come up with an idea that would work but have been unable to come up with a good solution. I have thought of putting a baby gate across the 6ft width of the run and while they couldn’t come out of the enclosure the hen could get in. I have a dog kennel outside that I could put in there but I wouldn’t be able to get close to the chicks to take care of them. Can anyone think of a solution I could do considering my age (78) and I have no one to help me. Any ideas would be so appreciated because what little brain power I have left is unable to think of anything

 

[CoopBoots]

Do you have, or can you take a picture of your current run/coop? Is the goal to keep the chicks with her for companionship purposes, or just to keep them in your existing chicken space for convenience?

I brood in a totally different area unless I have a broody hen to help integrate new chicks, but I know there are other folks who brood in their adult coop setup. I'm sure they'll have some ideas if they can see the space you are working with!

 

[unbaked pegga]

One pic is the inside of the 27’ run the other pic is the inside of the run 7’ wide 27’ long and the last pic is where the run attaches to the coop via a covered “bridge” that I had to put in because when I showed the delivery guy where to put the coop I didn’t take into account that there wasn’t enough space to put the run attached directly to the coop so I had to have it attached via walkway

 

[CoopBoots]

The part of your setup that is tarped off with plastic looks like a nice place to setup a brooder area, provided there's a way to get your lamp or heat plate plugged in and safety arranged. Is that the area you were considering fencing off with baby gates?

My initial thoughts are to use the tarped area, provided it will keep the racoons out overnight, and setup an enclosure on a table for ease of access. For instance, I used an old coffee table in my garage, made a large cardboard enclosure and set it on the table, and then suspended my light securely from a rafter/post in the ceiling (making sure it couldn't contact anything or come loose obviously) central to the enclosure. Obviously the garage was mostly predator proof, barring say, mice, so this might work or not depending on how secure your area is and if you have electrical outlets to easily connect your heat source. I also had to eventually graduate from the cardboard setup as it wasn't talk enough to keep my 9 chicks from flying out past a certain point.

Now, cardboard on a table probably wouldn't keep your existing hen out, so you might want to do more of a cage enclosure that still prevents drafts that she can't fly over and get into. I'm just spitballing but a large old wire dog crate or similar might work, if you have one laying around?

Now, I've seen people use tents in indoor spaces, but I have no idea if that kind of enclosure might work for you (and I'm not certain how heat sources play with tent material) but again, maybe something like that could work inside your tarped space as well. Just spitballing at this point!

Anyway, even if this isn't helpful maybe it will bump your thread so you get some more useful replies.

 

[Sueby]

You can definitely make your set up work to add chicks. I brood outdoors & not in the house & believe its a great way to do it. Question though, if you used the dog kennel why couldn’t you get to them? A big dog kennel would be a great temporary ‘coop’ for them in that run. That would be my first choice & the least work. Not sure a lamp would work in a crate though - I use a brooder plate, personally. & if they are day old chicks they will need heat at least for a short period in the beginning. & when it’s time for them to mingle with the hen you can prop the door open so they can get in & out & the hen can’t follow.

If not, I would just fence off the end or a corner with some temporary fencing, I always have deer netting or chicken wire on hand to be able to make things just like this. & zip ties! Chicken wire is very bendy so you can make a nice little enclosure for them. Then you could also make them a small bolt hole in a few days/weeks so they can start to interact with the hen but still be able to escape back into their enclosure & she can’t follow them.

 

[unbaked pegga]

The part of your setup that is tarped off with plastic looks like a nice place to setup a brooder area, provided there's a way to get your lamp or heat plate plugged in and safety arranged. Is that the area you were considering fencing off with baby gates?

My initial thoughts are to use the tarped area, provided it will keep the racoons out overnight, and setup an enclosure on a table for ease of access. For instance, I used an old coffee table in my garage, made a large cardboard enclosure and set it on the table, and then suspended my light securely from a rafter/post in the ceiling (making sure it couldn't contact anything or come loose obviously) central to the enclosure. Obviously the garage was mostly predator proof, barring say, mice, so this might work or not depending on how secure your area is and if you have electrical outlets to easily connect your heat source. I also had to eventually graduate from the cardboard setup as it wasn't talk enough to keep my 9 chicks from flying out past a certain point.

Now, cardboard on a table probably wouldn't keep your existing hen out, so you might want to do more of a cage enclosure that still prevents drafts that she can't fly over and get into. I'm just spitballing but a large old wire dog crate or similar might work, if you have one laying around?

Now, I've seen people use tents in indoor spaces, but I have no idea if that kind of enclosure might work for you (and I'm not certain how heat sources play with tent material) but again, maybe something like that could work inside your tarped space as well. Just spitballing at this point!

Anyway, even if this isn't helpful maybe it will bump your thread so you get some more useful replies.

The whole run is tarped and I do have a large and a medium dog kennel. I will have to turn it on its side at first so I can reach in get the chicks.At first that will be doable but as they get bigger I will have to right it . I am 78 years old but where‘s there is a will there’s a way.I will have to maybe put the larger crate on top of the medium crate so I won’t have to lay flat on the bottom of the run . Even when I clean the floor it would still be nasty. I have a plate like brood warmer so the middle of may when I get them it is pretty warm during the day in middle Tennessee There will be some cool nights probably. I may see if I can find a brooder warmer with a thermostat. The grown Orpington hen will either not like them or be excited to see them, She has been by herself for about 6 months now with me being another chicken or trying to. I am out here in the pen no matter the weather . I am out here in a heavy raincoat and hat. now. I come out 2 times a day about and hour or an hour and and a half each time.I put a big mirror on the fence. She was really excited about it at first but less so now. She is beginning to become subdued but still eating. What does anyone think my plan is ok?

 

[unbaked pegga]

You can definitely make your set up work to add chicks. I brood outdoors & not in the house & believe its a great way to do it. Question though, if you used the dog kennel why couldn’t you get to them? A big dog kennel would be a great temporary ‘coop’ for them in that run. That would be my first choice & the least work. Not sure a lamp would work in a crate though - I use a brooder plate, personally. & if they are day old chicks they will need heat at least for a short period in the beginning. & when it’s time for them to mingle with the hen you can prop the door open so they can get in & out & the hen can’t follow.

If not, I would just fence off the end or a corner with some temporary fencing, I always have deer netting or chicken wire on hand to be able to make things just like this. & zip ties! Chicken wire is very bendy so you can make a nice little enclosure for them. Then you could also make them a small bolt hole in a few days/weeks so they can start to interact with the hen but still be able to escape back into their enclosure & she can’t follow them.

Well with the dog crate the door opening is towards the bottom of the crate and I would either have to sit down or lay down to reach in to get them. It is a fairly big crate like say for a cocker spaniel + and don’t you know they would run to the back and it would be an effort to get to them and once I get on the ground, it almost takes an act of Congress for me to get up. I have two sturdy sawhorses that I thought I could secure the crate on top of it, but then the chicks need to be close to the hen so they could get used to each other right?, and if I had them elevated off the ground that wouldn’t happen. I don’t know if you can tell I am bumfuzzled about this - I think it’s because I wasn’t good at math and this kind of has a concept of measurements, etc. Men are always so good at things like but i don’t have anyone to help me so I have to figure it out by myself

 

[unbaked pegga]

Well with the dog crate the door opening is towards the bottom of the crate and I would either have to sit down or lay down to reach in to get them. It is a fairly big crate like say for a cocker spaniel + and don’t you know they would run to the back and it would be an effort to get to them and once I get on the ground, it almost takes an act of Congress for me to get up. I have two sturdy sawhorses that I thought I could secure the crate on top of it, but then the chicks need to be close to the hen so they could get used to each other right?, and if I had them elevated off the ground that wouldn’t happen. I don’t know if you can tell I am bumfuzzled about this - I think it’s because I wasn’t good at math and this kind of has a concept of measurements, etc. Men are always so good at things like but i don’t have anyone to help me so I have to figure it out by myself

Doesn’t anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Henschickspups]

If you set the crate up on sawhorses, or a table to be able to reach all the way back, do you have a table or another way the hen could use a ramp to get up there and hang out with the chicks?

Edit: hen stays outside the dog crate, but has a platform to be able to get up there and check everyone out, I mean.

 

[Henschickspups]

I just read through the rest of the thread, now it's too dark to do much more outside.

If you have the budget for it, I would think about getting a dog crate that opens on both sides or the top. Maybe not a dog crate, but something of the sort. I understand mobility is a big factor - are you able to build/assemble something basic? Maybe a square frame with some chicken wire to keep the chicks in the box, with a hinged lid so you can reach down, or to on the side so you have more space to maneuver on the inside, or even both a hinged side door and top? A small one can be built to sit on a table or a piece of board supported on the sawhorses, and a rectangular board can be placed ao your hen has a ramp. She can stand on the side of the table, outside the brooder cage/box, and see and get to know the babies.

If that is out of budget, can you show us a photo of the dog crates you currently have? Maybe we can come up with some accessible ways to get the chicks up where it's easy for you to take care of them, AND your hen can meet her new friends at the same time.