Chicks in the house... STIIIINKY!! HELP?

[chickie-is-obsessed]

I know the pellets work really well without smell....I use them in my cat's and rabbit's litter pans. I hadn't thought of using them when my chicks arrive but now I will. Thanks!

 

[dieselgrl48]

Be glad you got chicks instead of duck's lol

.I am keeping 4 brooders of chicks now but got them in the basement and got them divided by hatch date or buy dates.I have an old porta crib I use now for more feathered bird's.I moved my 8 Millie Fleur's to that the other day due to over crowding in the one brooder.Boy I was glad to get the 12 duckling's brooded and out and hubby bought 13 more on top of that but at least they were able to go right into horse stall with my first born 2 cayuga's and my 6 pekin's.I've never tried the pellet bedding I just use the pine for brooders mostly.I guess the pellets are more expensive and I used to brood hundreds of chicks and ducks per season so.. I used to keep brooders here in comp room but just the dust got irritating.They are bad for cobwebs and dust and my basement needs a good vacuming already in the rafters AGAIN.I keep saying NO MORE CHICKS lol.

.but....

.Good Luck with your's.

 

[bantyshanty]

Quote:
I think the problem a lot of people are having with smell is from wetness. When I first brooded chicks, I used the marble- jar waterer. Messy, germy, stinky!!

A friend told me she trains all her peeps to drink from water bottles from Day 1. So I tried this. It's great! I start my peeps out first day now with an eyedropper filled with water, and guide it over to the water bottle spout by Day 2. By Day 2-3 they've always gotten the hang of it. A small dish is under it to catch spills, and voila--no more stink in the brooder (guest) room! I agree, the pine shavings make evrything nicer. My rabbit exercise (brooder) pen has a foot of cardboard taped around it by 2 weeks to hold in the shavings. I use pine shavings at 2 weeks & on. I add to it for a week or so before a change. The brooder lamp dries things out a lot too. Humidity in the room affects the smell so much though.