I put down a tarp in the office with the brooder on top. Dust is definitely an issue as is the smell. The brooder is a big cardboard box (a dress box from U-haul)with hardwire on top. I put small pine shavings in the brooder and change it out as necessary. Weekly at first ( I usually only have 6 chicks at a time), the bi weekly as they age. By the time the smell gets too much with the bi weekly changes, it is time for them to go outside to a "baby enclosure". They live in there for a couple of weeks until old enough to free range with plenty of places to hide from the big girls when necessary. Usually they join the big girls in the coop when they decide to sleep in there themselves. I have only had one group of chicks that had to be "encouraged" to go sleep in the big girl coop.