Brooder

[ShrekDawg]

So I originally wanted the chicks in the house but now they'll probably be in the garage. But I was originally going to put them in the upstairs (which doesn't even have anything good, just storage and dumb ****). My dad seems to think it smells but then said if they were in a kiddy pool it would be okay.

Well now my stupid father seems to think the smell will "soak into the wood" and "every time it rains/gets moist the smell will come out" and how you put them somewhere you can move them not somewhere you're gonna put a room in, etc. Etc. And keeps going on and on about how bad chickens smell, how he used to take care of them, I read a few articles and think I know everything but I don't know ****, etc. And he won't let them be in the upper part anymore. Personally I think he is stupid because people wouldn't raise them in their houses if the smell never ever went away.... Plus they're not even going to be on the wood but he seems to think they'll "get out." Umm, I wouldn't let them escape and run loose around our disgusting garage and get hurt? Anyway, my point is I'm pretty sure they'll unfortunately have to be on the concrete. But do you think if I put plastic and blankets down it would be okay? Someone suggested plastic, old blankets, more plastic, cardboard, then the bedding. Would that be okay?

Also for the record, I don't so much care about having to put them on the main level (as long as it's safe), I more just care about the fact that he is such an *** about it. And also that I think he's wrong and even if he wasn't, again, way he said it.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Last season I raised 42 chicks on our enclosed front porch last season in brooders. Never again. It was a smelly mess. Chicks do not belong in the house. They only keep their down for a short time. Then they start to get feathers. The down comes off them as a fine dust. It covers everything. It looks like regular household dust but it isn't. It's literally chick down. Very unsanitary. It can't be cleaned by just dusting like regular household dust. It just blows it round if you try. It needs to be carefully wiped up with cleaning liquid on a damp cloth and then wiped again with a dry cloth. Otherwise your house basically has the germs of a chicken coop. I think sometimes folk think chicks are like puppies and kittens. They aren't Because of the dust issue. Your dad is just trying to keep his house sanitary for his family.
You can successfully brood these chicks in the garage. No problem. How many do you have? You just need some electricity and you are good to go. You need 1 sq. ft. per chick. There are several kinds of brooders you can make easily. It depends on how many chicks you have? All are simple and inexpensive and have been used successfully for many years by a lot of people.
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow, I hadn't realized chick down was so problematic! It's probably better they're outside then especially since one of my brothers and I have asthma, though mild and mostly when we get a cold. We kinda grew out of it.

But that said, I'm sorry, I should have clarified. They won't be in the house either way (originally I did want that but that's out). What he's saying is that they aren't allowed on the top level of the garage, which has wood subfloor. What I don't understand is why he cares so much where in the garage they are. But supposedly it's harder to clean and he wants to make it a room eventually but he never has this whole time so I don't know. Oh well I guess.

But anyway, we're getting 9 so nowhere near 42

I didn't realize they needed that much space even as little babies but I guess it makes sense and 9 sq ft really isn't a lot I suppose.

I was thinking of either using a kiddy pool or making a sort of "custom sized" one with hardware cloth and cardboard for walls and the plastic, blankets, plastic, cardboard idea for flooring topped with pine shavings.

We have electricity as it is attached to the house, though I'm not sure I trust the circuits out there lol but thankfully I'm probably going with a heating pad anyway so I don't have to worry about such a high watt light out there.

I think I want them to have plenty of room as well as be able to expand it if needed.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Just noticed your other reply on the heating pad thread, reading that now too.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I know I posted this reply in the other thread and it doesn't make any sense without context as there was a second reply over there but ai wanted to post this here too as I figured the end part about the mice and pallets was relevant.

Thank you so much for all your help!! The bleaching after is exactly what he wanted to do and it makes sense. I am thinking though that I may put a piece of cardboard or.blanket or something too as I'm paranoid about them being cold hah I never even thought of a watermelon thing though, that's a great idea. Unfortunately though I think we do have varmints. I'm not sure how many or whether it's a problem but I know we have mice out there. We are picking up pallets tomorrow for the coop and there are a ridiculous amount of them so I'm wondering if we could possibly pick up some extra ones and make a brooder out of it? Or with the spare wood in the garage.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Here's the garage. It got a little long but I don't feel like making another video hah

 

[bruceha2000]

Here's the garage. It got a little long but I don't feel like making another video hah

I watched the video. Your garage and "barn" look an awful lot like our garage and basement and barn (and house).

BUILD THE COOP NOW!!!!!!!

It will be easier than cleaning up the clutter to make room for the brooder area. Trust me, I know about cleaning up clutter (or, actually, ignoring it because it is impossible). If there were "a place for everything" everything would be in its place. It is plenty of work trying to figure out where it should all go and making THAT space.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I watched the video. Your garage and "barn" look an awful lot like our garage and basement and barn (and house).

BUILD THE COOP NOW!!!!!!!

It will be easier than cleaning up the clutter to make room for the brooder area. Trust me, I know about cleaning up clutter (or, actually, ignoring it because it is impossible). If there were "a place for everything" everything would be in its place. It is plenty of work trying to figure out where it should all go and making THAT space.

Yupp, everything is very cluttered and you're right that it's impossible to clean! Although in this case it's all useless stuff we could part with. although upstairs is a lot of our stuff. I have the same problem in my room though - too much stuff, no place to put it. My room's pretty small. I think you're right that building the coop now would probably be much easier and if we're building it anyway (which we are since my dad's getting his hip done the day they hatch) then there really is no point in putting them in the garage anyway I guess.