Working Full Time and Baby Chicks - Doable?

[3KillerBs]

Dog crate too small? It's 3'x2'x2'.

The size is OK for a few chicks, but since you'll be at work and can't monitor them closely, you need the extra length that was mentioned earlier to make it possible to have a warm end and a cool end.

 

[ShaunJ421]

I'm a first time chicken owner. I had ordered 16x day old chicks from Meyers. I work full time myself. It's definitely doable. I would suggest using a heat plate, over a hear lamp. They regulate the temperature themselves. And they won't blow like a heat lamp will. Which can be dangerous for chicks in many ways. You plug it in and forget about it, until you need to adjust the legs as they get bigger. Best investment I've made. I bought heat lamps as a backup, just in case. But never needed to use them. They're 18 weeks now. And I've only lost 1, due to a birth defect that caused the chick to fail to thrive. And passed away at 6 weeks. But they're all doing great. Just make sure they have fresh water, and plenty of food to last till you get home.

 

[alwaystj9]

I used the round waterers and feeders that screwed onto either old mayonnaise jars or white plastic containers. I would prep 4 pairs of bottles on my day off, filling with food and water and setting them near my brooder/cage. Then I would just change to a new water and food container each morning before work. I used to use lamps but 2 years ago switched to a brinsea plate. I never had any issues as long as I got the chicks at the start of a weekend or day off. That first day I made sure they were all eating and drinking, no problems after that.
I don't know how many you plan to get, I used to raise mine (a dozen or less) in an old bassinet/pack & play little human-kid container that I bought at a yard sale. Over time I changed out the netting with wire panels. It was not terribly predator proof but it was kept in my shop.
The prices you quoted sound awfully high to me. You might want to shop around a bit more.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Agree with 3killerBs on size of crate. 3x2 is simply too small, even with a heat plate.
I used a modified 6x2 crate for 5 standard size chicks and by the end of week 2 they were zinging around, outgrew the space, knocking over feeders. By week 3 they were in the coop grow out pen with partitioned run with the big girls.
Whatever space you think you need, double it.

 

[fuzzi]

Agree with 3killerBs on size of crate. 3x2 is simply too small, even with a heat plate.
I used a modified 6x2 crate for 5 standard size chicks and by the end of week 2 they were zinging around, outgrew the space, knocking over feeders. By week 3 they were in the coop grow out pen with partitioned run with the big girls.
Whatever space you think you need, double it.

If they need 6'x2' then they'll have to go outside, my house is too small.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Agree with 3killerBs on size of crate. 3x2 is simply too small, even with a heat plate.
I used a modified 6x2 crate for 5 standard size chicks and by the end of week 2 they were zinging around, outgrew the space, knocking over feeders. By week 3 they were in the coop grow out pen with partitioned run with the big girls.
Whatever space you think you need, double it.

x3, depending on amount of chicks. I usually do 3-4 chicks at a time, and my brooder is slightly bigger than 2x4. They already get pretty crazy in that space by 7-10 days old or so and I start letting them out by then (I brood outdoors).

May I make another suggestion? Since you said you don't have the coop built yet, prioritize building that first, then brood the chicks inside there. It'll give you more space to work with, and acclimates the chicks to being outside as well at the same time.

 

[fuzzi]

x3, depending on amount of chicks. I usually do 3-4 chicks at a time, and my brooder is slightly bigger than 2x4. They already get pretty crazy in that space by 7-10 days old or so and I start letting them out by then (I brood outdoors).

May I make another suggestion? Since you said you don't have the coop built yet, prioritize building that first, then brood the chicks inside there. It'll give you more space to work with, and acclimates the chicks to being outside as well at the same time.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been reading the outside brooding posts as well, and weighing my options.

 

[Cat Ballou]

Very helpful responses, thank you all.

I haven't gotten a brooder yet. I have some clear plastic totes, but they aren't big enough, 20x13x13. I also have a 29 gallon aquarium I'm not using, 12x30x18" high. That might work for a week or so.

I was eyeing the pumpkin/melon display at Aldi's yesterday.

Any grocery store will have a giant melon box. If you’re near any furniture stores Lazy Boy chair boxes are the same size. That’s what I used. Also I prefer small animal water bottles for always clean water. Figure out where the brackets & nozzle align, then use a pointy scissor to to make holes. When it’s set up, use your finger to represent a beak and let the chicks see you tap the nozzle, hear the balls shake & click against each other, and water drip out. Once one or two see you do it, get the idea, and start drinking from the bottle, the rest will learn from them.

 

[imacowgirl2]

We are brooding in a dog crate this time around …its roughly 4’ x 3’ and will work well for the time our 11 chicks are in it (we aim for full integration into the flock around 3 weeks old). To keep things easy, we use a mama heating pad, nipple waterers, and a feeder without the top holes (my father in law has had chicks get heads stuck in the holes). I work from home but would have no concern leaving the chicks all day (we usually do on the weekends) — I’ve set up a blink security camera so that I can check on them as needed away from home, which also makes leaving them easier.

 

[3KillerBs]

May I make another suggestion? Since you said you don't have the coop built yet, prioritize building that first, then brood the chicks inside there. It'll give you more space to work with, and acclimates the chicks to being outside as well at the same time.

I agree.

Brooding outdoors has so many advantages -- as long as you can assure sufficient heat.

I use a brooder plate now in warm weather and a brooder plate with a backup heat lamp in cold weather because most brooder plates are not rated to use in temperatures below 50F (though my Producer's Pride plate has been good down into the 40's with chicks a few weeks old).

I set up the Big Red Bulb so that it keeps the area around the plate over 50F and keeps the water thawed and the plate keeps the chicks warm.

My brooder is huge: Run to Outdoor Brooder Conversion I close off half of it for the first week or so to keep them from getting lost away from food, water, and heat.