Exactly how dusty/smelly/messy will the indoor chicks be?

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I have 10 that I started in a rabbit cage in my walk-in closet. That lasted 4 days - they get a little chirpy and start scratching for food that gets things dusty.

Moved them into a HUGE stock tank in the living room and that lasted a week. I had a fine coat of dust all over the whole house.

They are now out in my enclosed sunroom attached to the front of the house. At 4 wks, they poop a lot, do a lot of scratching which gets dust everywhere. I change the wood shavings and vacuum everything once a week.

If I was only going to get 3, I wouldn't hesitate to have them in a basement. I would put them in the biggest container/brooder you can afford. Or get a HUGE box from appliance store.

Good luck and enjoy watching those little darlings grow. Be sure to post some pics.

 

[hyzenthlay]

Thanks! I am planning to start them in a large rubbermaid container with a wire top (not sure on the exact size, it might be about 2'x2.5'?), and then I have 2 giant dog crates (St. Bernard size) that I can move them to when they need it--either using just one crate, or I could join the two together if necessary and they could have the run of both. I know the dog crates will be messy since they won't keep the shavings, etc. in as well--I might have to rig up some kind of solid walls for them--I guess we'll see.

Oh, and I can't wait to post pics!!!

 

[jonesgirl]

I have 4 right now...

I think you will be fine, but I do agree that once thier fathers start to come in, about 2-4 weeks.. I am ready for them to be outside. THey grow really fast!

I don't notice the extra dust, being that I live in a town called Stagecoach... we have plenty dust all on our own.. A little smelly, but if you clean out their box every day you can stay on top of the smell... Until they start pooping bigger :}

Good Luck!

 

[flakey chick]

You might consider the double decker brooder (use search function) because of the wire bottom. The smell of 3 won't be bad, but their feather growth creates a great deal of dust. I had a wire-bottomed brooder. Once the the dust goes through the mesh, it is under control. If you use litter, it will keep getting stirred up until it settles all over everything.

 

[hyzenthlay]

Hm, thanks for the suggestion on the double decker brooder. I could see doing something like that using my dog crates, maybe especially once they are a couple weeks old, since that's when it sounds like they start to get bad--I'll have to think about how I could work that.

 

[Honey1]

I have 9 two week old chicks in my kitchen in a brooder right now, and am not having any dust or odor problems. I just keep the brooder tidy and change the bedding every day.

Good Luck, and enjoy your chicks!!!

 

[headred]

I have 3 week old ducks and could only make it 2 weeks inside the house. Seems like they really started to poop the second week and then the smell was noticeable. I was worried about putting them outside at first, temps still low 30's at night (Kansas), but they did great. You can see my inside and now outside set up on my website. Enjoy your chicks!

 

[crzychicken]

Not to bad they are alittle dusty.. smelly is up to you, the more you clean it out the less smell it's the water that smells the most, it gets warm from the heat lamp and they get foof in it if you change that often the smell it's bad. I would prop the water and the feed up as they grow it helps to keep things clean and makes it easy on you. I always had 2 waters ready to go and swap out and 1 food with 3 though I don't think you'll have much of an issue just maybe dusty I had 26 chicks;
Good luck

 

[mdfishinggirl]

I have 8 chicks in my unfinished basement that are 4 weeks old now. The weather isn't ideal to put them out in the coop yet, and really, they don't smell IMO. I CAN smell the pine shavings and I do have to say...there is a layer of dust on my 1st floor that appears minutes after I wipe it away! I am ready to put them out, but I think I can tolerate a few more weeks. I would not have put up with it this long if they had to be in my LIVING space. The unfinished basement is just fine for them. Our guests don't even know we have them down there and say they can't smell a thing. I do have a box fan that runs 24/7 with a furnace filter attached to the back of it. I put it near their brooder.

It takes care of a good amount of 'chick dust'. Good luck!

 

[LauraM]

It sounds like you have good alternatives if you can't stand the smell or mess. My chicks are 4 weeks old (4 of them) and they seem big and messy! They are outside. Good luck with your new chicks!!