Help me re-think my brooder setup.
Our take
Hey fellow chicken enthusiasts! As a proud chicken mom from the NE USA, I’ve been navigating the feathered frontier for about three years. My journey kicked off in a cozy but chaotic spare bathroom, where I brooded chicks amidst the challenges of keeping them warm and tidy. Fast forward to now—I’ve got a charming chicken barn complete with power and plenty of space, but I’m facing a new hurdle. With a nine-month-old and a cat who claims the bathroom, my chicks need a cozy outdoor brooder. I had everything set up, but it seems the chilly temps caught me off guard. I’d love your advice on making the barn more suitable or alternative brooder ideas. Let’s cluck through this together!
When it comes to rethinking brooder setups, there’s a delightful mix of creativity and practicality that chicken keepers must navigate. The recent tale of a chicken mom from the NE USA highlights this very challenge. With an old shed transformed into a cozy coop and a vision of a thriving flock, she faced the all-too-common hurdle of brooding chicks in less-than-ideal conditions. Her experience resonates with many in the community, especially those who’ve found themselves juggling life’s demands alongside their quirky feathered friends. This situation is not just about temperature control; it’s about ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for new chicks while balancing family life—and perhaps even a cat litter box or two!
This chicken mom’s story is a reminder that even seasoned poultry enthusiasts can face unexpected hurdles. With her previous experience in the farm and feed industry, one might assume she’d have this brooding thing down pat. Yet, as she discovered, real-life scenarios often throw curveballs that can leave us scratching our heads—much like trying to catch a runaway chicken! For those interested in the challenges of integrating new birds into a flock, articles like Chickens going outside 7-8 weeks or Left my chicken run door open yesterday and caught some squatters... offer insights into the nuances of chicken care that can help us all avoid the “messy nightmare” she described.
The crux of her dilemma lies in the need for an adequately heated brooder in a barn that lacks insulation. This situation is particularly relevant for those of us in colder climates, where the ambient temperature can drop suddenly. Her proactive approach—installing a heater and monitoring conditions with a camera and fire alarm—shows a level of dedication that many chicken keepers can admire. However, it also underscores the importance of practical solutions that align with the realities of our chicken-keeping environments. For instance, insulating the barn or creating a makeshift brooder that can retain heat might be valuable steps forward. In this light, it’s crucial for the community to share their wisdom and experiences, as her request for advice reveals a willingness to learn and adapt.
In the world of chicken keeping, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution; every setup is as unique as the birds we cherish. This story serves as a gentle nudge for all of us to rethink our approaches and consider the unforeseen variables that may arise. As our feathered friends grow and their needs change, adaptability becomes paramount. So, what’s next for our chicken mom? Perhaps a few community suggestions could help her create an outdoor brooder that combines warmth and safety without sacrificing her indoor space.
As we continue to share our experiences, it’s essential to foster a community that embraces both the whimsical and the challenging aspects of chicken keeping. After all, whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newcomer, we’re all in this together, navigating the delightful chaos that accompanies our feathered companions. So, fellow chicken enthusiasts, what innovative solutions have you implemented in your own setups? Let’s brainstorm and help each other turn those brooder challenges into cluck-tastic triumphs!
 | Hey all! I’m a chicken mom from the NE USA. I started keeping chickens about 3 years ago at home but had a lot of prior experience with poultry as someone who worked in the farm and feed industry for an extended period of time. When my husband and I bought our first home, it came with an old 10x14 shed with an addition (that was falling apart) that we ripped off to create our dream coop/chicken barn. We were newlyweds who had a lot more time and energy on our hands than we have now. It was still too cold, so I brooded the chicks indoors in our spare bathroom because aforementioned chicken barn was not ready. It was a messy nightmare, especially by week 3 when they’re not cute and tiny anymore. This year husband and I decided to add a few more birds to the flock because we have the room and unfortunately have lost a few birds. Here’s the catch; we have a nine month old now, and a cat who’s litter box is in our bathroom (we don’t have a basement) so the babies cannot go in the bathroom even if I wanted to repeat that hellish experience of keeping them inside. I said, chicks have to be done out in the barn. Now, I thought I had this all figured out. Chicken barn is sweet - it has power and many outlets. You walk in through swinging barn doors and coop is entirely enclosed in the addition. Addition is around 6x6 with its own door, you can walk in to where the roosting bars and nesting boxes are and easily clean/collect eggs/visit with the ladies. We just keep our mower out in the outer portion and use it for “dirty” storage like shovels and whatnot. This is where the brooder would go. It’s not drafty but it’s not insulated, it stays about 10-20* warmer inside the coop at all times depending on if the swinging barn doors are open. I know that chicks need an ambient temp of at least 70* outside of the enclosure and 95* in the brooder week 1 with space to get out of it and take it down 5* every week, etc. so I got a safe heater and set it up with a camera on it and a fire alarm to get the ambient temp in the barn up (my worst fear is a coop fire which is why I use a brooder plate over a lamp). I set up my brooder with the plate and everything felt nice and toasty warm. I waited for temps to be around 50-60* daytime consistently and above freezing at night, so 40-50 in the coop plus the additional heat but I guess the math just didn’t math? In theory everything should have been good, but today was a little cool and when I got these poor babies home and out in their brooder I knew they were cold and husband and I instantly rushed into action. Pleased to report, I am very attentive so all babies are fine and perked back up… they’re just in my house again. 😅 Sooo much better that than dead, but clearly I didn’t think this through well enough. At the end of the day, if they have to stay inside a few weeks, i will make it work, but does anyone have any ideas of how i could make the barn more suitable or what i could use other than a tent or something to make a brooder that would accommodate them outside? Anyone else in the NE USA that does their chicks in a barn? Do I just have to insulate? I take full responsibility for fumbling the timing and if need be they’ll just stay inside until the temps rise enough for me to get the brooder perfect or they’re ready to go out, whatever comes first, but would love some ideas. Pics of my ladies for tax, obvs. [link] [comments] |
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience
Related Articles
- Chickens won't come into the coop on their ownFirst time chicken owner here! My neighbor was wanting to get rid of of his 2 chickens from last years 4-H fair so I offered to take them as I've always wanted to have a handful of layers. They are semi-tame, and my neighbor said they would put themselves up in the coop every night, but since they've been moved to our house they refuse to use the coop for laying or roosting at night. I keep having to search for them outside in the bushes around the overgrown woods surrounding our house and carry them in. Sometimes the lavender orpington avoids me and it becomes a bit of a chase through the thicket... I've tried to make this old shed outback as cozy as I can for them to be a coop as pictured, but they still won't put themselves up at night. I also have to keep them shut in the coop until after lunchtime otherwise they won't come back inside to lay in the nesting boxes. They'll just lay their eggs outside though I have no idea where as I've been unable to find them. If I keep them shut in the shed I can usually find one egg at lunch, though I feel I should be finding 2 but I don't want to shut them up all day, so I think one is still trying to lay outside. I've placed fake eggs in the nesting boxes, and they'll use the boxes when shut in the coop. I've also tried keeping a light on in the coop before dusk, but they prefer to roost up in the bushes still. Any ideas on how to get them settled and used to the coop so they'll put themselves up at night? submitted by /u/volcanothear [link] [comments]
- Chickens going outside 7-8 weeksHello, these are our first chickens and I don’t want to make mistakes. We’ve bought them on March 22nd, I believe they are almost 8 weeks old now, on May 9th. I’ve heard they can stand 35 degrees if they’re fully feathered. I’m no chicken expert. My wife thinks a heating lamp in the coop the first few cold nights is best. So that’s the plan. I’m new to chickens and if I can get by without heat, I think that would be best for them. We’ve let them outside about a dozen times before in this run. Not overnight, but for a few hours. We’re in Michigan, zone 6a. Next few nights will be 37, 35, 35, then forties. I don’t love the idea of running an extension cord to the coop, or a heat lamp in a wood box with pine shavings, but that’s the plan. At least for the first couple nights. My question is should I bring them inside? Should I do the heat lamp? Or are they fully feathered enough to not need that? I want them acclimated, I don’t intend on using heat next winter if I can help it. Any advice is appreciated. I’ve looked into chickens a lot online, but I’m no expert. Thank you! submitted by /u/MintySack [link] [comments]
- Left my chicken run door open yesterday and caught some squatters...I just had a very bizarre Sunday. I leave my run door open for my girls whenever I'm home and check on them throughout the day. Yesterday afternoon, while doing the rounds, I spotted one of these little babies running around inside the run cheeping her little head off. Absolute flabbergasted, I did a sweep of the yard and found another one huddled in a deep corner on the fence line. We live in a standard fenced-in suburban neighborhood with no real water sources nearby, so I'm very confused as to how they happened to end up in my yard that coincidentally has all the facilities to care for chicks. I'm guessing mama duck had a nest in my neighbor's yard, tried to march her new brood to water, and these two somehow got under the fence. The loud one must've heard my chickens and ran to the coop for safety. I drove around the neighborhood looking for mama, but to no avail. Once it started getting dark I brought them inside to the brooder and got them set up for the night. I immediately started imagining the movie-like scenario of raising them and eventually releasing them to a nearby pond where I could visit them for years to come, but unfortunately I understand that the best thing I could do for them in reality is to turn them over to a wildlife rehab to ensure they have the best chance in the wild. I've contacted a local facility and plan to turn them over today. I'm told they're going to be raised by their resident duck mother, Ingrid, along with her adopted flock. Just wanted to share with some folks that might appreciate it! I know every time I see some Mallards I'll imagine it's them. And who knows. Maybe it will be. submitted by /u/treasurebeard [link] [comments]
- Hey guys new to owning chickens! I recently bought 5 chickens 4 hens and 1 rooster, all are 2 weeks old. What should I be doing at this age? I just transitioned them into the insulated coop with a heat lamp on, should I have a light on inside the coop for day time or just leave the coop door open?Any information is appreciated, I have plymouth chickens and live in Northern Alberta cananda so currently we have spring weather with lows down to -5 some nights and highs of +25 during the day. Thanks in advance everyone. submitted by /u/coleslaw056 [link] [comments]