Wanting to get new chicks/wondering if I can put them directly in the coop in a separate brooding box. Some say wait because of diseases. My set up

[Debbiebs1b]

Wanting to get new chicks/wondering if I can put them directly in the coop in the separate brooding box I built above nesting boxes. Some say wait because of diseases while others don't worry about it. This is My set up.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

How are you heating the chicks? I presume you mean day olds from somewhere or such.

If you use a heat lamp, unless you've got protected, outdoor rated wiring, into that coop, and even then...it would be a solid no from me. I've burned a coop down with a heat lamp on a (new) outdoor quality extension cord, and so have at least 3 of my chicken friends (one who had indoor wiring). The dust created actually ignites in the heat of the lamp.

Are you planning to use a heat pad method? That would be safer. I could see that possibility above the main hens.

The disease from the chicks, if you got them from a hatchery or feed store, would be negligible to your chickens with the possibility there could be some shed from a Marek's vaccine if your new chicks have had that, which could pass to your chickens if they have not been vaccinated (or developed immunity). However, your chickens could pass disease to the chicks if you have something in the flock. However, on the other hand, you have to introduce them at some time.

Does waiting until older help? Maybe yes, maybe no. I've introduced feed store chicks to broody mommas at several days age and not had illness, so I'm not a hardliner on that. I'm more concerned with new chickens bringing in diseases TO my flock rather than passing disease from my flock. New day old chicks avoid most of the diseases.

My thoughts.

LofMc

 

[FrostRanger]

You're going to want to keep your new chicks separate for a while but not for disease reason, but because the adults may attack them. It's fine to brood is the coop as long as they're in a place the adults can't get them and they have an appropriate heat source, preferably a heat plate. it's fine - preferable even - if the adults and chicks can see each other, they just can't touch each other

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

I think you should keep them inside in a brooder until they are old enough to be integrated. The older chickens might try to mess with them through the wire and the baby chicks could get pretty stressed out. Also, how would you be keeping those chicks warm. They need to be able to have a warm spot so they don't freeze. Baby chicks are super delicate and need to be able to be warm!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You've put a lot of work into that set-up. I think it could make an excellent brooder for the chicks from about three weeks old and feathered enough not to need supplemental heat, until they are ready to integrate with the adult birds. People do this at various ages, I do it at about 8 weeks. But ... how high are the roosts? Depending on your breeds, that may be quite a jump down if you have heavy breeds and could make for a hard landing on their legs and feet.

 

[BDutch]

All 3 reactions are right. Please read a few articles about raising and integrating chicks.

These are nice/good articles to start with:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...need-to-know-about-raising-baby-chicks.76037/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Debbiebs1b]

You've put a lot of work into that set-up. I think it could make an excellent brooder for the chicks from about three weeks old and feathered enough not to need supplemental heat, until they are ready to integrate with the adult birds. People do this at various ages, I do it at about 8 weeks. But ... how high are the roosts? Depending on your breeds, that may be quite a jump down if you have heavy breeds and could make for a hard landing on their legs and feet.

The box that has the brooder and the nest box underneath is a 4 foot high by 6 feet long. It has 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The other chickens can't get to them being off the ground and the size of the hardware cloth. The roost above that is 2 inches above the box. They use the side roost (20 inches off the ground) to get up and down from the high roost, if they use it. I also have a 4 foot wide ladder roost with 4 bars in the corner (not shown) that they use more than anything. We are in Florida and the temps are in the high 80's to 90's during the day and 65 to 70 during the night.

 

[FrostRanger]

Sounds like it'd be perfect as long as they have a heat source!

 

[killmak]

Looks good to me. As long as temperatures aren't crazy cold and you have heat for them it will be fine. I would suggest a brooder plate as the temperatures you stated would be fine for them to run around in without getting too cold. And a brooder plate is much safer than a heat lamp.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My 3 ft x 6 ft brooder in the coop looks pretty similar to that. The top is solid and acts as a dropping board from the roosts above. I made my brooder floor out of 1/2" hardware cloth so the poop drops through and it stays really dry. Once the chicks get to 10 to 12 weeks old the poop gets big enough that it doesn't drop through but mine are long gone by then. I put a piece of plywood where they sleep on the wire mesh floor to retain heat in colder weather. I dump it every day so the brooder stays clean and dry.

I put chicks in mine straight from the incubator or post office. I find they are really good at managing their heat as long as they have a choice. I'm one of those stone age caveman brutes that uses a heat lamp. I believe that if you use light chain or wire to hold it up so it can't fall that it is safe enough but any heat source can be a risk. I consider heating pads and heat plates to be very safe as long as they are maintained in good condition and used safely.

I heat one end of my brooder with the heat lamp and keep it toasty warm. Some winter mornings the far end may have ice or frost in it but that one end is kept warm. Your brooder has great ventilation with that wire mesh so the far areas will cool down, but in Florida this time of year and for the summer you do not want to overheat them. If you use a heat lamp I suggest you put a thermometer under it to see how warm it gets. Heat lamps often come with a 250 watt bulb but you may find you need a 150 watt or even a 75 watt bulb to keep from overheating them.

One summer in a brutal heat wave I turned the daytime heat off at 2 days and the overnight heat off at 5 days. It was so warm they did not need the heat.

I want my chicks exposed to whatever the flock may have as early as possible so they can get started on whatever flock immunities they may need. Many flocks have diseases or parasites that they have total immunity to (Coccidiosis is one example) but the chicks are vulnerable. I keep the brooder as dry as I can to reduce the risk of coccidiosis if they have it (my flock does so I'll use it as an example). On day 2 or 3 in the brooder I feed them some dirt from the run where the adults are and then feed them some more every 3 or 4 days. After three weeks the chicks should have developed an immunity to it so they are safe.

If the chicks are mailed from a major hatchery they should be very safe as far as bringing in any diseases to your flock. Feed store chicks are pretty safe but chicken owners are in there every day and could possibly transmit something. If you hatch them yourself in an incubator they should be pretty safe, very few diseases are transmitted though the eggs. If you get the chicks from somebody else they may have anything that other flock has.

Wanting to get new chicks/wondering if I can put them directly in the coop in the separate brooding box I built above nesting boxes. Some say wait because of diseases while others don't worry about it.

I want my new chicks exposed as soon as possible but mine come from a major hatchery or I hatch them myself. The chicks can start developing whatever immunities they need from the main flock. If you get them from another person and do not consider them safe you might want to raise them in your house in quarantine for a month before you expose them to your chickens to be safer.