How long do chicks fit in a rubbermaid tote turned into a brooder?

[mamakelly]

I have 15 eggs that should be hatching on Friday. I'm planning to candle again, but the eggs are brown and it's getting really hard to see in there. Last I checked the 15 all had growing chicks. So I'm trying to figure out how long they'd last in a large rubbermaid tote. If I end up with 15, they would outgrow it pretty fast wouldn't they? We aren't keeping all 15, we can only keep 4 hens. But I have to wait until we can tell if they are roosters or hens before we give the others to friends.

 

[yotetrapper]

If all 15 hatched, you could probably keep them in a large tote for up to 3 weeks. After that, they'd be getting crowded....

 

[rancher hicks]

I'd say maybe a two weeks. I had 25 my first batch. Then went up to two and then three and then four. By which time they were poking their head through the wire tops I made. I think that was 3 mos. Well maybe 3-4 weeks but it will need alot of cleaning.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

not as long as I'd hoped!!

 

[ChickyLaura]

What kind of chicks are you hatching? Are they bantams? And do you know how large your rubbermaid tote is?

I got the largest size I could at Home Depot and had DH outfit the lid with chicken wire and wire ties. It worked for a few weeks. But then I did add some larger breed chicks later on, and once they started growing wow! They had to move outside to the big girl coop.

 

[mamakelly]

I have a "barnyard mix" of eggs, LOL. That's what they called it. I could end up with Pure White Leghorn, Plymouth Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red or Delaware. I think those are pretty big breeds right? Hmm I wonder if I should return the tote and go with a baby pool instead? I'm guessing the tote is 2.5 feet long by 1.5 feet wide. If I go with the baby pool all 15 eggs better hatch, LOL!

 

[ChickyLaura]

15 chicks might be a tight fit after 2 weeks or so, or once they really start growing. But maybe wait until after the hatch to return the container. If you're anything like me, I "don't count my chickens before they hatch"

I really hope you have a better hatch than I do, though!

 

[pulletkeeper]

I have a 48 gal. tote and I kept 13 in there until they were 2 1/2 weeks but they were running out of room fast!

 

[mamakelly]

Thanks everyone. My neighboor just offered me her glass reptile cage. It has a heat lamp and everything. I was thinking that would work perfectly until we know for sure how many chicks we will have.

 

[Kim_1970]

I had a 54 gal XL roughneck tote with 11 chicks. I ended up moving them out and into a 4' x 3' x 2' brooder after 2 weeks. They just seemed too crowded in the tote to me.