What would be best...?

[coop-er]

My chicks are getting too big for their brooder- I must move them and while brainstorming , this is what I came up with. My husband just built a 900 sq ft 2nd garage/ workshop. I have a tractor coop for my babies for when they are able to go outside (4-6 weeks). If I move the tractor coop into the garage what would be best to put down for the floor/ bedding? The coop will be on the cement floor so something needs to be between the chicks and the concrete. It is too large of a space (4x10 approx) to completely cover with pine shavings for 6 weeks. I can cover part of it with bedding but what about the rest? Cardboard probably not a good idea... Plywood maybe? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If your willing to use pine shavings why can't it cover the entire 10x4 area? A bale of shavings is around $6 and a compressed 3 cubic foot bale/bag will easily cover that area 4 inches deep. Ask at the counter at your local supply store, bulk feed and shavings and grit and oyster shells, you name it are stored in back. Never buy the over priced stuff in front of store. You'll want plastic or something to wrap around the bottom of tractor sides or they'll be scratching the shavings out and all over your floor.

 

[Fred's Hens]

We do this very thing.

We drag our tractor into the garage, using The Tractor (LOL) and use it as a final brooder/grow out pen. Since we're still in deep cold winter up here, it has worked very well.

I took super large cardboard boxes and flattened them. Thus, they are two layer thick, if that make sense. Then after we set the little tractor on the cardboard, we put down a 3" layer of nice, yellow straw. The chicks love it.

Adapt this to your own application. I did hang a 90 watt bulb in there, just to keep the chill off, as they were only 3 weeks old at the time. This is our second batch this winter.

 

[coop-er]

Egghead_jr
The chickies will be in the coop for possibly 6 weeks- I thought covering the whole space with pine shavings would be alot of clean up- wouldn't I need to get in there and sweep out the shavings weekly to keep it clean? And then replace the PS? Just sounds like a ton of clean up... thanks for your help

 

[coop-er]

Fred... Love the coop!- my chicks will be 2 weeks on Monday, but they are BIG... Anyway my great husband did pull the coop into the garage and we put it onto a sheet of plywood..our garage/workshop has a furnace so the space will be heated but I will still put my heat lamp out there to concentrate some heat

 

[coop-er]

I can cover the floor with straw......is that better than pine? I will definitely cover the outside with cardboard 6 in up, to minimize how much mess they can kick out-glad to hear you have used this method and it has worked for you. Chickies will be in this house for a month or more..so I want to do it right so I don't have to make a bunch of disruptive adjustments... Do you just move the tractor outside when the weather breaks?... Thanks Fred

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: All you need to do is add more shavings if it starts to smell bad, then do ONE cleanup
I'd also spread a bag of pelletized lime before putting in the shavings to keep from staining the floor

 

[coop-er]

I pulled the coop into the garage onto a sheet of plywood so the pine and/or straw will be on top of that. Just keep adding bedding? really? No on-going clean up? That would be wonderful.... Guess I was over estimating the mess they would make...( Eight chicks who will be 2 weeks old tomorrow)

 

[coop-er]

We do this very thing. We drag our tractor into the garage, using The Tractor (LOL) and use it as a final brooder/grow out pen. Since we're still in deep cold winter up here, it has worked very well. I took super large cardboard boxes and flattened them. Thus, they are two layer thick, if that make sense. Then after we set the little tractor on the cardboard, we put down a 3" layer of nice, yellow straw. The chicks love it. I have another question about this, I am getting ready to move the chicks to the coop in the garage ( I was waiting for a warm- up in the weather but we just got dumped on again last night) I will put them out there with food/water/ heat lamp on a bed of pine shavings.... Do I need to put a dirt bath out there for them also? I can make one from a box lid if needed.... What kind of dirt do I use? Potting soil? Sand? With so much snow out there I won't have any luck getting anything from the yard for awhile. Thanks for your help Adapt this to your own application. I did hang a 90 watt bulb in there, just to keep the chill off, as they were only 3 weeks old at the time. This is our second batch this winter.

 

[coop-er]

Okay--- I messed up my last post- not sure how to fix! But.... Fred's hens, my question is in the middle of your post... Sorry about that!