Where to keep chicks until they're ready to be with older girls.

[kanga2roos]

My 5 chicks are about ready to move outside now that it's getting warmer, but I know I can't put them with my older girls yet. I'm just looking for some ideas from other people on how they did this. We live in an area with alot of predators, so it needs to be safe. We don't have a barn. We have a fully enclosed chicken "fortress" with a coop inside. We've had good luck with it, but are looking for an affordable solution. Any ideas you can share?

 

[Wifezilla]

I have a utility closet just outside my back door. I converted it to a brooder for the "teenagers". They outgrew their tub brooder SO FAST!

Could you do the same thing with a Rubbermaid shed?

 

[txchickie]

I had this issue. I got 4 t-posts, hardware cloth, a tarp, a doghouse, and a piece of plywood and made a makeshift, temporary "coop" right outside the back door.

It is NOT cute and looks very redneck LOL!!!!! Luckily no one sees my backyard. But it was my only option. It's 4x6 with a plywood top (drilled several holes around the edges and wired the plywood to the hardware cloth that was stretched around the 4 t-posts. Then I wired the tarp around 2 of the sides, and there is a nice wooden doghouse inside with a heat lamp.

Seven chicks got put out there as 4 weekers, it's been around 20 degrees every night and they even made it through a snowstorm last night. Best part is it cost me less than $30 bucks and was put up in less than an hour.

 

[pixiechic]

Quote:
Can you partition off part of your chicken fortress? That way the big girls and smaller ones will be close enough to get to know each other, but with a fence in between so nobody gets hurt - and everyone stays safe.