Too big for the rubbermaid, not quite big enough for the coop

[Alycat23]

My 1 month old pullets are getting very flighty and outgrowing the Rubbermaid thing I turned into their makeshift home. They're not quite ready to go into the coop with my other 8 chickens, but they are getting too big for that enclosure. What do you all use in the in-between cute-ugly stage when they're needing more space, but still need warmth and protection? Needs a cover because I really don't want them flying all over the house. lol

 

[Chicalina]

rabbit hutch in a smaller covered run

 

[CindyinSD]

I'd put them in the coop as long as the weather isn't set to be extreme right away. They don't need the brooder heat source anymore. How many littles and how many bigs? If there are more or approximately the same number of littles, I'd just put them in, probably at night, and check on them early the next morning. They'll most likely be fine in with the bigs.

If you're just adding two or three to half a dozen or more, I might be a little more careful, maybe fixing up an area like a sheltered dog crate in the run or similar, and propping the door so only the littles can get into it. You know your facilities and what you do or don't have room for. The main thing is to keep the littles from being overly hazed. The bigs are gonna assert their pecking order. You just need to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

 

[Alycat23]

I'd put them in the coop as long as the weather isn't set to be extreme right away. They don't need the brooder heat source anymore. How many littles and how many bigs? If there are more or approximately the same number of littles, I'd just put them in, probably at night, and check on them early the next morning. They'll most likely be fine in with the bigs.

If you're just adding two or three to half a dozen or more, I might be a little more careful, maybe fixing up an area like a sheltered dog crate in the run or similar, and propping the door so only the littles can get into it. You know your facilities and what you do or don't have room for. The main thing is to keep the littles from being overly hazed. The bigs are gonna assert their pecking order. You just need to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

Thanks for the advice. I'm adding 2 to 12 - soon to be 8.

 

[KarynVA]

I was in that situation with 3 young pullets and we managed to adapt a large cardboard box that was big enough we could put a roosting bar in there with pine shavings and their food and water and still had plenty of room to walk around inside. We cut out a large square on the top and used a wooden frame with chicken wire to cover the opening. They stayed in that box in our family room for several weeks.

We put them outside on the grass during the day in a pen made of wire fencing and a woodframe wire cover.

 

[CindyinSD]

Thanks for the advice. I'm adding 2 to 12 - soon to be 8.

Oh yeah... I see now that you already said that. I might remove the extras you intend to sell or whatever your plans are for them, before putting your two littles out there, just to simplify (if that's possible to do).

I would make them a little cave with chick-sized doors. If inside the coop, it can be a wire crate/cage with a propped door. If outside I might use a small clear storage tub to make their cave and weight it down with a cement paver or similar. You could put a couple of towels over it if you get an especially cold night, but don't tuck them in. Leave them enough ventilation. Ideally though, their cave should be in the coop at night. Once they seem okay with the bigs, take the cave out.

About heating the outside brooder; this is dangerous unless you're using an infrared panel or other heat source that *CANNOT* start a fire. I only use added heat in the garage, not outside at all. A little cave and thick comfy bedding or snuggling on the roost together work fine for my birds.

Two days ago it was 90°. One day ago it snowed around 8" but didn't get below the high 20s. This morning we woke up to 14° Fahrenheit. All of my birds are fine, including three around your chicks' age who have stopped sleeping under their mama. Most were in an unheated coop; some who didn't want to go in, slept in a three-sided barn with my cow & calf and a few turkeys. Everyone was just fine. We live in the Black Hills, SD, at a little over a mile's elevation. It gets even colder in northern MN, and there are a lot of BYC peeps there. They don't heat their coops either. Chickens are really tough little critters.

Added heat (if it's a customary thing) can hurt your flock if the power goes out (so I'm told) if your flock aren't used to the cold. That said, our recent weird weather event doesn't seem to have fazed my flock in the least. They're looking at the snow (which is melting) like it's the devil. Otherwise, they're fine.

 

[Thechicksdigme]

We used a watermelon box we got from Walmart. If they have an empty one they will just give it to you.

 

[Alycat23]

rabbit hutch in a smaller covered run

I love this idea! Just found a super cute rabbit hutch!

 

[Alycat23]

Oh yeah... I see now that you already said that. I might remove the extras you intend to sell or whatever your plans are for them, before putting your two littles out there, just to simplify (if that's possible to do).

I would make them a little cave with chick-sized doors. If inside the coop, it can be a wire crate/cage with a propped door. If outside I might use a small clear storage tub to make their cave and weight it down with a cement paver or similar. You could put a couple of towels over it if you get an especially cold night, but don't tuck them in. Leave them enough ventilation. Ideally though, their cave should be in the coop at night. Once they seem okay with the bigs, take the cave out.

About heating the outside brooder; this is dangerous unless you're using an infrared panel or other heat source that *CANNOT* start a fire. I only use added heat in the garage, not outside at all. A little cave and thick comfy bedding or snuggling on the roost together work fine for my birds.

Two days ago it was 90°. One day ago it snowed around 8" but didn't get below the high 20s. This morning we woke up to 14° Fahrenheit. All of my birds are fine, including three around your chicks' age who have stopped sleeping under their mama. Most were in an unheated coop; some who didn't want to go in, slept in a three-sided barn with my cow & calf and a few turkeys. Everyone was just fine. We live in the Black Hills, SD, at a little over a mile's elevation. It gets even colder in northern MN, and there are a lot of BYC peeps there. They don't heat their coops either. Chickens are really tough little critters.

Added heat (if it's a customary thing) can hurt your flock if the power goes out (so I'm told) if your flock aren't used to the cold. That said, our recent weird weather event doesn't seem to have fazed my flock in the least. They're looking at the snow (which is melting) like it's the devil. Otherwise, they're fine.

OMG! that's a hell of a weather fluctuation! But, great to hear that everyone's ok.

 

[Sally PB]

A dog crate worked well as a brooder for me. I lined the inside with sheets of cardboard so that they couldn't get out through the bars. The bars themselves are handy for hanging a feeder or waterer from, or sliding a roosting bar through. The bottom tray is removable and if the coop/run hadn't been ready, I would have been able to take them outside in it. Put the crate on the grass, remove the tray, watch them figure it all out. Better than TV.

They still are better than TV.

I really like the crate; if I ever need a brooder again, I have one. I have a lot of other uses for it too, so it was not a one time investment.