Which thing should I use for a brooder?

[pinebarrens]

I like the idea of brooding them in the coop, but we aren't going to be able to wire it for electricity at the outset (not a skillset we have, not in the budget to hire somebody who knows how.) I can float the idea of running an extension cord out there, but I do not think my husband will be a fan of leaving that cord out there for weeks. Unsure how to make it work.

Knowing they will outgrow a smaller space *that* fast is useful, one way or another this will take some re-thinking.

 

[pinebarrens]

8 chicks would easily brood with no problems in the dog kennel. That is a good size space for up to 4 weeks. I've brooder much more in smaller space before. In that scenario I'd sell a bunch at 2 weeks of age so there was enough space to finish brooding before being put outside in pen.

They do grow very fast. Make sure you will have the time to build a pen and coop or they will and often do outgrow the brooders on people. The other thing to note is your climate. Not knowing where you live I can't recommend a time to get chicks. Here in the North I wouldn't get chicks until 3rd week of march. That makes for fair spring weather in 4 weeks. Here chicks started any earlier might have to brood longer then space can be an issue or need a week of only coop time before weather breaks enough for grass instead of Nor'Easters.

I'm in southern NJ. We were starting work on our coop before we got all this snow over the weekend. The plan is for the coop to be finished, or nearly finished, before we bring home chicks. Usually it is starting to be spring here by April.

 

[azygous]

The only real problem to consider with running an extension cord to the coop is how far is it from the nearest electric outlet. Power decreases (amps) the longer the distance. By the time you get power to the appliance, it's not powering at full strength. I had a friend, about three years ago, run some of that weather-proof electric wire, designed to be buried underground, from my breaker box at the house overhead, fastened to the trees, to the coop. It took him all of an hour, maybe a little longer to fasten the electrical receptacle boxes to the walls inside, and I had electricity to the coops and run all the time without having to string an extension cord out there to be stumbled over and endangered when I shoveled snow.

He did it for eggs.

 

[pinebarrens]

Well, we still have some time to work on it. We might figure something out for electric in the coop.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. It helps a lot to hear a variety of perspectives. I love that everybody here seems to be solving similar problems in all kinds of different ways.