Mini Coop R
Okay, here is my contribution for a brooder. JoAnn and I live on the Big Island and some of you know that we had the distinction of having not one but two hurricanes barreling down on us this week (Madeline and Lester). THANKFULLY, neither of then posed a problem where we are on the island, so we feel extremely thankful.
The feeling wasn't that way two weeks ago when the feed store we ordered a few new birds from - two Barred Rock Roosters and 4 Cornish Cross chicks- called to tell us they wouldn't be getting them in until the week the hurricanes would hit. Yikes.
Fast forward to three days ago, and in the hustle and bustle of Madeline, I get a call letting us know our chicks were in! Totally forgot they were still coming. JoAnn and I went to get them and while the Barred Rock Roos weren't in the order they did have a "few extra" CC - 8 over our order. Well, the chicken math along with the added pressure of the stress of Lester and of course we headed home with storm clouds overhead but we had 12 new peepers in our Jeep.
We had great luck with two broody hens taking over the RR and Barred Rocks, but we were fresh out of broody hens.
"We need a brooder", JoAnn says.
"Okay, we have some scrap I can make a box for them, should be done tomorrow night.", I say.
I originally made a cube out of some left over scrap plywood I had laying around, but that looked too spartan, too austere, even if they weren't going to be in it very long. It was ugly. I quickly re-purposed the parts and decided to built a mini version of the coop I made for the hens.
I said, "If I am going to Remodel this, lets do it right!" The re-model, (dubbed version R) took only 4 hours longer than I expected, so the chicks got to stay in the house for one extra day while the first coat of paint dried overnight. Next day the trim was painted, roof went on in a flash and the lamp was hung. JoAnn thinks it was a good choice to remodel the ugly.
Okay, here is my contribution for a brooder. JoAnn and I live on the Big Island and some of you know that we had the distinction of having not one but two hurricanes barreling down on us this week (Madeline and Lester). THANKFULLY, neither of then posed a problem where we are on the island, so we feel extremely thankful.
The feeling wasn't that way two weeks ago when the feed store we ordered a few new birds from - two Barred Rock Roosters and 4 Cornish Cross chicks- called to tell us they wouldn't be getting them in until the week the hurricanes would hit. Yikes.
Fast forward to three days ago, and in the hustle and bustle of Madeline, I get a call letting us know our chicks were in! Totally forgot they were still coming. JoAnn and I went to get them and while the Barred Rock Roos weren't in the order they did have a "few extra" CC - 8 over our order. Well, the chicken math along with the added pressure of the stress of Lester and of course we headed home with storm clouds overhead but we had 12 new peepers in our Jeep.
We had great luck with two broody hens taking over the RR and Barred Rocks, but we were fresh out of broody hens.
"We need a brooder", JoAnn says.
"Okay, we have some scrap I can make a box for them, should be done tomorrow night.", I say.
I originally made a cube out of some left over scrap plywood I had laying around, but that looked too spartan, too austere, even if they weren't going to be in it very long. It was ugly. I quickly re-purposed the parts and decided to built a mini version of the coop I made for the hens.
I said, "If I am going to Remodel this, lets do it right!" The re-model, (dubbed version R) took only 4 hours longer than I expected, so the chicks got to stay in the house for one extra day while the first coat of paint dried overnight. Next day the trim was painted, roof went on in a flash and the lamp was hung. JoAnn thinks it was a good choice to remodel the ugly.
They're good for keeping pipes from freezing, waterers from freezing, brooding chicks, incubators, heat sources for outside critters, and....for light, even. 
