Chick Brooding Cabinet

The other day we stopped by here

And brought home four new members of to the family.

Their names are Sunny, Easy, Scramble and French Toast.

Grace's favorite is Sunny.  She's very sweet.

After a few days in a plastic tote, we decided it was time to build a brooding box.  With temperatures still falling well below freezing at night up here in Alaska, it's too early to build a chicken coop.  And let's not forget about the snow and frozen ground.  That will have to wait a month or two.

I had originally set out to build a brooding box like this one, but after a few days of cleaning up poo, I decided I wanted a open bottom with a tray underneath for easy cleaning.

And then one "wish list" item led to another, and before you know it, this is what we were building.

Because why not build a cabinet with an easy clean out tray, doors so the little ones can peek in and check on the chicks, and ample storage for keeping things like feed, newspaper, water, books and other chick nursery items on hand?

And if I'm using up a sheet of plywood either way, why not make something pretty?  Something I could maybe use for another use?

So what started out as an aversion to cleaning poo

Turned into this.

And of course, we even installed a light inside to keep them warm.

They are, after all, our newest members of the family.

We kept the doors low so Grace could see the chicks and help with cleanout.  But I kindof wished we'd down the doors higher and storage underneath.  That way the birds are at eye sight, with storage down below.  This would work great for other types of birds too.

But the good news is you can do whatever you want to suit your needs.  That's the great thing about DIY!