Where do you keep your chicks prior to the coop?

[Daniart]

Hi Sean!
VERY MUCH a newbie myself - here is what we are doing:

My chicks are almost 4 wks. We wanted 2, came home w/ 4. They started out in a med. tote, but once they started moving & getting curious, I moved them to a big cardboard box w/ high sides. We keep them in our garage.

I pierced 2 holes on opposite sides of the box, about 4" from the bottom & inserted a long "roosting" stick for them. When they were ready, they hopped right up.

Now that they've lost most of their "fluff", we take them out to our enclosed garden for some "run" time, then back "home" to the box they go.

We had trouble finding chicks in our area of MN. Lots of places had to order them. But, we stumbled across a local farm & garden (nursery). So call around - someone may be able to refer you to a local place.

Take Care,
Daniart

 

[MTchick]

Ours started in the bathroom in a galvanized washing tub, moved to the spare bedroom in a 55 gallon plastic storage bin, and then moved from there into our old dog kennel (still in the spare bedroom). The dust was worse than I thought it would be but other than that it was a good system. After 6 weeks I was very happy to get them into the coop with a warming light!

-MTchick

 

[Dzzzyd]

I started mine out in my son's old reptile aquairium setup. It was great. Heat lamp and everything. I aso liked the screen top that kept them from jumping out and with the glass sides no drafts. It set right on the piano. No more difficult than cleaning up after the snake he had. Hahaha. Of course I only had two at a time. Then I moved on to a cage that my husband used to use for his doves. This has a slide out tray that's easy to clean. I put news paper in the bottom of the cage any way. I still use this cage at night.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

In my kitchen in a brooder box until they were 3 weeks.Just moved them to the coop in a separate little area with a light. Will be removing the light next Wednesday, when they turn 4 weeks. I'm going to get some chicken wire and build a little tractor for them until they are big enough to go in the coop with the big 'uns at 20 weeks.

 

[motherhen]

We keep our 4 chicks in the dining room in a dog cage with a 40watt light bulb during the day. The weather here has been quite cold, except for yesterday when I took the cage out to the deck. I will have to move them to the coop in 6 weeks. I will have to find a way perhaps to mix the chickens together. I already have 3 banty hens and 2 are broody. I have to do something because I am going away for a week. I hope my neigbour can handle it.

 

[COgirl]

I too am a newbie, I have 27 2 week old babies in two playpens in my sewing room. Each pen has a heat lamp suspended above it which I am now starting to turn off during the day, it is in the 90s here in CO so they are staying warm. We are going to start the expansion of our coop tomorrow. I am useing pine shavings I also keep a tv on for them during the day so they hear people even when I'm not in with them, probably doesn't make a bit of difference to them but I feel better

 

[chickbea]

In my husband's bathroom, of course!

Separate bathrooms - the key to a happy marriage!

 

[Chelly]

 

[hisbride]

We put ours in a large card board box on top of our dryer lined with newspaper which I changed fquently because it got wet and mess alot. It would have been in the floor but the dog sleeps in the laundry room too! Anyway, we rigged up the light and the top was pretty much open when they were real little. After a few weeks they were moved into the shed into a box my husband made. Can you say recycle??? He used this stuff that is like a grate for flourescent lighting that his work was throwing away as well as plexiglass for the side walls. He has some scrap wood for the corner joints. He made a top where the lights ware secured. This box was on legs so that the poo could just fall into the tray he had underneath for easy cleaning. Probably alot more fuss than what most folks what to do but that was what he did.

 

[LuckysMom]

I'm a newbie too! But anyway this is what worked for me when I hatched out the chicks in my classroom: I removed them from the incubator when they were dry and put them in a big plastic bin with a window screen that fit the top of it. I had a heat lamp with a shield on it and I had adjusted the height of the lamp to get the right temperature. I lined the bottom of the bin with newspaper and paper towels on top of that. This had to be changed about 4 times a day but it was fun for the kids, they got to pick up the chicks and transfer them to a cardboard box while I cleaned the bin. After I took my chicks home I transferred them to a metal folding-type dog pen, which I sat inside a cardboard tray cut from the bottom of a large box. I put pine shaving litter in there and changed it every other day. The tray contained most of the litter. My husband attached a pole on the inside that they could roost on. We put them on our screen porch. I let them out once in awhile to walk around the porch and stretch their legs/wings. Now the coop is finished so I was finally able to clean up the mess on the porch and it looks like humans live here, not chickens.