Too Big for the Tub

[mommto3kiddos]

I was wondering if any of you used the tubberware tubs as brooders, were did you move you older chicks when they outgrew the tub brooder?? We have a huge dog kennel that holds our boxer when we travel and I was thinking of putting my girls in it when they outgrow the heat lamp and until they are ready for the coop outside! Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[mcfarmall]

Mine are a week old in a rather large tote. I plan on moving them to a plastic pond liner that is about 5' x 7' when they are a little older. Those suckers are starting to fly!

 

[wbruder17]

It depends how many chicks you have, really. Right now I have 2 full sized chicks and 3 banties in a 2x4ish tupperware with a screen lid. The big chicks have wing feathers and are starting to get rowdy. I will probably leave them in there for another week or so, then move them up to my large brooder, which is about 4x5x3ft tall. I already have several chicks in that cage. We built it ourselves and its fairly large.

 

[mommto3kiddos]

We have 6 mixed & red pullets in a Christmas tub. They have pleanty of roaming space right now, but they are trying to fly too so we have placed a wire top on the tub. We also added a roost so they had extra help peeking out the top when they tried to fly...

 

[mrsteiner]

I was only able to keep my chicks in the rubbermaid brooder for two weeks. They are growing like weeds! Of course, I ordered 13 chicks from Ideal and got 26! So I had to build a new brooder quicK, lol!

My husband built me a tractor out of PVC and chicken wire that we will use outside for free-ranging when it is warmer, but right now they are in the garage, living in the tractor. We put plastic and then plywood on the floor for warmth, and added pine shavings. Since we live in Michigan, we had to insulate the sides and top as well. But now we have them all bundled up with two heat lamps and they are doing fine.

 

[Higins00]

The dog crate would be fine. If it is the kind that has wire holes on the side you have to put a towel over the cage so they don't slip through space. If they can't fit nothing to worry about. You can use anything you can come up with. Use your best judgement.

 

[AlienChick]

I'm using a 2x4 wire dog crate now for my 24 chicks that range in age from 2-5 weeks.
I have cardboard around the sides of the crate to prevent drafts and keep in the shavings.

Next week I will be setting up my dog's large x-pen in our shed and moving all the chicks out there with their heat lamp.

 

[gmendoza]

I must be cruel then.I harden our chicks after 3 weeks when almost all their feathers are in.I stick them out to the "grow' box outside.No heat.Our lows are 45+ now and they are bundled for warmth.We did this last year and no deaths from it.Once they are in the grow box,they go into the coop at 5 weeks to the main flock.

Here is the grow out box outside:

Its the little one in front of the big coop.

 

[RoeDylanda]

I'm using a 2x2x3 dog crate for 6 chicks. They *can* wiggle through the slats for the first week and a half or so! I lined all the inside walls with cardboard and have another piece blocking the bottom 8 inches of the door. This is keeping my floor much cleaner! The grow light is clipped to the wire roof in 3 places by 2 carabiners and an s-hook. It's working really well.