“Love this product! but if they ever wanted to create a new and improved version, I would love to see two side doors instead of just the one. That way you can connect as many as you want to give the chicks more space. Right now with only the one door I can only connect two at a time.”
Thank you for taking the time to review our Hen Pen Pop Up Brooder! We are so happy to hear you love this product as much as we do! We also appreciate the suggestion regarding the addition of another door! All offers of advice are appreciated so we can offer the best products for our valued customers. My Pet Chicken hopes to help you with your flock needs in the future!
“This is an awesome brooder. It's sturdy, easy to set up, waterproof bottom and heavy quality mesh. I am amazed at the size of it. It even fits my large heat plate. Plus it folds away flat and can be used for a hen hospital later if needed. My chicks love it too! Highly recommend it.”
“So far this has been a FANTASTIC purchase. We usually start out with a large clear tupperware tote for the first week or so, it's very easy to keep it clean and warm - we cut out the middle of the lid and put hardware cloth over the opening. We'll use that to store all the chick equipment going forward. We had a bit of an issue for the first day transitioning over to the pop-up brooder from the tote, it was so big for them that it kinda freaked them out. But they've adjusted to all that room quite well. We have my plant gro lights up on top to provide the babies with enough bright light to help mimic daylight.”
“Wish the sides were taller and I wish the bottom came out. Very hard to get really clean. My chicks are 4 weeks old now and have been flying out of it since 2 weeks old. Every time I unzip the top they fly out. It is roomy and convenient though.”
“Well I used it for half day before my dog tore right threw the sides and killed all my chicks. He was alone with them for a few minutes. Holes in the mesh on side and the side just pushes right in. While I didn't test it, I wouldn't have faith in a toddler adding any pressure to the side without it failing. Adding to that, every toddler I know can open a zipper so fact they say it's toddler proof just isn't true unless your talking a 12m old.
But back to my original issue, it's not actually pet proof. Guess I should have paid more attention since the description says pet proof but the added detail only talks about cats. Sigh. So now I'm out the brooder, 6 expensive chicks that I'd been attached to and a brooder plate that was smashed in the whole ordeal..
Two stars because it does fold up nicely and was a nice size. It has a liner in the bottom for easy cleaning.”
Thank you for letting us know, we are incredibly sorry to hear about your situation with the Hen Pen Pop-Up Brooder. We cannot even imagine how upsetting that would be. As a result of your feedback, we are adding a reminder that pets and children should be supervised at all times around baby chicks, and with this brooder as well. Nothing is foolproof, but supervision helps reduce the risk of chicks being injured since a pet or child who is determined to gain access, can find a way. Additionally, the design is collapsible and if a pet or child gets on top or presses firmly on the sides, the brooder can press inward. It makes the brooder very convenient for storage periods, but not as robust for chick protection. We understand how sad you must be and if you do want to try again to raise a brood or chicks we are here for you. We would like to send you another brooder on us if you are interested. Please let us know. We are here to help you in any way we can.
“The first 2 times I used it, GREAT.. the 3rd time, it seems a rodent of some sort has started to chew into the fabric along the bottom.. I understand that the product is NOT safe for outdoor use, This is inside my garage, and sealed though it is, some rodent has still found it's way into the garage to chew it.. I will say that for some reason the rodent DID NOT eat my chicks THANK GOODNESS, I am not sure why it stopped chewing, and left. I have placed rat traps around the brooder, and taped the hole shut. It would be better if some sort of chew proof fabric along the bottom edges of the brooder were used. The chicks have started to peck at the exposed threading that is at the seam where the rodent chewed through it. I will attempt to tape that up, too. I may have to bring the chicks inside which is not ideal either because I have cats and it's colder inside my home than it is in the warm garage.”
We're sorry to hear that your Pop-up brooder was damaged by rodents. The brooder is listed for indoor use only as it is not predator proof; this includes rodents which can be highly motivated by food like chick starter to chew through fabric. Garages and outdoor sheds or barns are prime locations for rodents to seek shelter from elements and are normally not sealed the same way that the interior of a home is to discourage entry. Sadly there isn't a fabric material that we could offer that would prevent these pests. Rodents can chew through most materials when motivated including PVC, wood, and even concrete less then 2" thick in some cases. Rodents like rats, mice and even squirrels are a huge problem and one of the primary reasons chicken coops are built up off the ground and it's not recommended to put food or water in the coop itself. Stainless steel or a material stronger than iron is needed to prevent entry by these tenacious pests and these metals wouldn't be light, foldable or affordable.
