Backyard Chickens
Part 1
The Beginning
We originally started with chickens for the steady (and healthier) egg production and that's where I am going to start this series.
To start, I built a small 4x2 brooder for our new chicks so we had somewhere to keep them while they grew and I got the coop and their run ready. We wanted everything to be a decent size so while they were caged, they had lots of room. We originally got 10 chicks that were primarily for laying but had plans to expand in the future (and expand we did, chickens are like an addiction and you always need more, as most people find out).
Anyways, back to the brooder. I built it out of 2x4s and made the base and half the walls of plywood. It wasn't fancy but it worked (and still works though it's been expanded). I made the plywood walls about a foot high and the next foot was wrapped in chicken wire, both to keep our cats out and the chicks in as they grew. Next, I added a roost for them out of a pice of 2x4 laying flat and 2 mini roosts as the large one was elevated too high for then while young. On the one side, I put in a piece of plywood as a divider so we could give them a small dirt area while the rest was bedding.
We originally used a heat lamp (with light) that was attached to a piece of threaded rod. It had a narrow cut in the 2x4s that was around a foot long so was adjustable as their need for heat diminished. I would suggest using a heat plate though (which we upgraded to) as the light meant they were up all hours of the night between their constant naps.
Most information we found said the chicks had to be kept inside for around a couple months so having the space was important. We have discovered over time (and having broody hens) that the chicks can go outside far sooner though they may need supplemental heat depending on the outside temperature. Mama hen will take them outside after only a few days but is also there to ensure they can get warm whenever needed so use caution when they haven't fully developed their feathers.
That's it for this episode. Part 2 will deal with how we originally got them outside while they didn't have their coop and run finished yet.
Thanks for reading
