Basement?

[Mr.Dad]

When narrowing down where we can raise our chicks and not have them in the living area but also be draft free I think I'm left with our basement......

This whole process is new so forgive me if I'm asking a 'no brainer' but is the basement a problem?

 

[Foghorn]

The dust that they produce can be a problem. Also the smell I've heard can be pretty bad as they get older and depending on how many you have. Otherwise, as long as you can maintain a steady temp. and keep them contained, you should be ok. Many people raise chicks in basements.

 

[soonerdog]

Mr. Dad the basement may work well with little chicks. Lucky for me I keep my ordered chicks in a brooder in the back of the gaurage......in the Spring until they feather out good....couple weeks old. I deal with cleaning out the pan by emptying the bottom tray and use a heavy duty shop vac in clean up. After the little ones get older and need more room relocate them to the outside in a pen with plastic around it on all sides but one and the bottom. When placed outside in the bigger brooder pen, I still run electical chords out to my pen and burn lights for several more weeks. I usually run two lights just incase a bulb burns out. If this were to happen at least they still have one light left for warmth. After the days and nights get to warmer temperatures and the birds are feathered out completely, then you could stop using the light. It is a bit messy for a while when you first get the chicks and they are inside. After they are placed outside it is much better. Just remember to keep them warm! Goodluck! Johnny Oh yea, I like and recommend Buff Orpingtons, and also Standard Ameraucana (bearded, muffed, blue-eggs!)

 

[Mr.Dad]

We're probably gonna start with about 15......

I can keep them warm and draft free...and make a pretty nice little spot for them down there....but I wonder if the smell will travel up stairs.....

I've thought about getting 17 week old birds and skipping this step....but I think we'll (esp the kids) be missing a pretty cool thing (raising chicks).....

 

[soonerdog]

The smell could travel upstairs. I would use the shopvac DAILY and keep it emptied daily and outside. Keep the litter removed DAILY.....it is a lot of work but I think you can do it.

 

[Mr.Dad]

Quote:
Man they must be stinky little buggers eh?.....LOL.....

PS...thanks for the breed recommendation (thumbs up)......

 

[beckt]

yes you will find out they can be messy, but their cuteness makes up for it LOL. If you keep the litter cleaned out & they have a big enough area the smell is not bad. I always raise my chicks in a brooder tub in my kitchen till they can go out. The dust is pretty bad but I always do a good cleaning when they move out.

 

[BeckyLa]

I don't have a basement so I keep mine in boxes in the laundry room which is at one end of my mobile home. Whenever they begin to have that famous chicken fragrance I dump the old bedding and put in fresh shavings. Cleanliness is the key to keeping the fragrance away.

 

[Mr.Dad]

That's great that I'm hearing people say they've raised them in the living area......

Honestly I'd love to have them in my kitchen......dust can be cleaned.....and I'd clean the 'area' daily....

How much of a problem is it having small kids around them?

 

[apbgv]

I've had several chickens and chicks raised in the basement, I would recommend mixing some sweet pdz in the chicks bedding, its found at stateline tack, helps keep the smell down. as long as you clean up the major poo daily odor usuallyisn't a problem my first winter with chickens we didn't have the coop built yet so the 5 chickens I had lived in the basement I just cleaned up after them every day no problem.