Show me your Grow out pen!

[ccredeur]

Good morning! I am almost finished on my new 8x8x6 walk in chicken coop. I currently have about 16 chickens in a 4x6x6 coop with plenty of roosting space left. They only use the coop to lay and sleep. The coops are located in a large chicken run and they free range when we are home in the afternoons until bedtime.

I have approximately 31 chicks 14ish are ready to meet the adults. The rest are still growing. I want to add a grow out pen to the inside of the coop so that the babies can all get familiar with the adults. I will also be placing my brooder in it. The brooder is a small rabbit hutch with attached run.

Show me your grow out pens, please! I need some inspiration.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I use a prefab for chicks, after they graduate from the brooder. I grow them out till they're to big for it, & move them to a bantam coop to grow up half the size of adult birds before I move them to their adult coops. Easier to introduce young birds when they're about the size of the mature birds.

I upgraded this year.

I had a smaller one then this originally, but got rid of it. Got really weather worn, plus it was pretty small.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I created a separate coop & pen space for mama & chicks, using a few 2x8 wire panels & made the temporary "wall & door" so they did share coop space getting used to eachother but no could get pecked or bullied. Their pen space was right next door to other pens full of adult chickens, so they all saw & heard eachother as they grew...made it easy to move them in with eachother later.

I have a few Pet Gazebos, they also can act as cages within the pens, when I shut the doors. Then once grown, the Gazebo doors stay open, so it's a shady place to perch, all chickens love them, I adjust the perch height accordingly.

You could use any type of dog cage enclosures probably, they have several types. I chose the octagon shaped gazebo, because I can actually get inside, pick the whole thing up by the perch, & move/walk it anywhere, all by myself. I also use them as my movable tractors this way! Strength yet portability & versatility...My only gripe, the top canopies only last about 2 yrs in the weather. The company Advantek was awesome & replaced them, as they were still under warranty, but I'm going to make something better myself. I don't think Any fabric will hold up long term. Just thought I'd share that...yes the metal makes for a product easy to clean with longevity, but the tops won't hold up long, at least not with my weather here...100 degree hot July days, below freezing January nights, alot of sun, rain, snow, hail, etc.

 

[Lor]

I've been using this pen in the run and have a section of the coop walled off with garden fencing. With the chicks bigger now I had to fence off more of the run to give them more room.
Big pain to crawl through the door to shoo the chicks into a pet carrier to put them in the coop at night.

 

[SilverBirds]

I use one of the coops you can buy from TSC.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've been using this pen in the run and have a section of the coop walled off with garden fencing. With the chicks bigger now I had to fence off more of the run to give them more room.
Big pain to crawl through the door to shoo the chicks into a pet carrier to put them in the coop at night.

I have one of those too. I use it as a breeding pen, a play pen, & a pen when I round up birds for butchering.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I use one of the coops you can buy from TSC.

There's one of those sitting out in front of a yard for free taking. I may get it, if I can convince my dad to stop so I can get a look at it.

 

[Lor]

I have one of those too. I use it as a breeding pen, a play pen, & a pen when I round up birds for butchering.

I bought it because it would have a few good uses later when the chicks no longer need it.

 

[SilverBirds]

There's one of those sitting out in front of a yard for free taking. I may get it, if I can convince my dad to stop so I can get a look at it.

I mean, if it's a free coop... Big enough for multiple little chicks, broodies, or for breeding purposes.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I mean, if it's a free coop... Big enough for multiple little chicks, broodies, or for breeding purposes.

Most likely only big enough for a couple large birds, or some chicks, or 1 broody hen.

It's really not much bigger then the first one I got rid of.

My old prefab with a breeding group of silkies.