Are candles bad for chicks?

[axg17]

Hi, does anyone know if it is safe to burn candles around chicks? I want to light a Yankee Candle to get rid of the smell from the brooder ( of course l’ll put it across the room from the chick) but is it safe for the chick to breathe in the air?

 

[Dovethesilkie]

Chicks are very sensitive to chemicals in the air i would stay away from any candles or air fresheners if I were you I hope your chicks do well

 

[axg17]

Chicks are very sensitive to chemicals in the air i would stay away from any candles or air fresheners if I were you I hope your chicks do well

Thank you

 

[humblehillsfarm]

If you have a beeswax candle you should use that. Soy-based and other wax candles just mask the smell which in my opinion smells even worse. Bees wax actually releases negative ions which attach themselves to dusk and other small molecules (like bad smells) in the air, weighing them down. So technically beeswax removes the smell. Plus beeswax is a lovely smell.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Think fire safety, whatever you decide. and look to your brooder to determine why it smells at all, and if there is something to be done about it.

I know my brooder box smells, because its black plastic, with a plastic liner, and my chicks are cosntantly tossing food, then getting that wet, so it needs to be cleaned daily to avoid wet food smell - I can't fix that. But the runs, the grow out pen, and the hen houses all use deep bedding and deep litter, and there is no significant smell. Also, they are outside, the moving airflow is a big help.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

How old are your chicks?

How big is your brooder?

What bedding are you using?

Show us some photos and we might be able to help you improve your setup.

If you're in an area that is not experiencing extreme heat you might even be able to move the brooder outside.

 

[rosemarythyme]

In general it's best to avoid scented anything around birds as they have a more sensitive and delicate respiratory system than we have.

If it smells you need to address the cause of the smell (usually a combination of poop, bedding, and wetness) as that's a sign that more frequent cleaning is needed, or birds are too crowded, or lack of ventilation in the area, etc.