Does anyone else do this?????

[mama24]

I just hatched my first chicks less than a week ago. No dust so far, but I only have 2 chicks, and I put down Yesterdays News cat litter. Just what I've been using for my cat, didn't buy it special. Seems to work pretty well. They aren't eating it, which is all I was worried about.

 

[AnaD]

This is my first year with baby chicks, but so far so good. I live in an area with mild winters so when I think they house is getting a little too chicken smelly I just open up all the slidding doors to let the fresh air in...I haven't noticed too much dust either.

 

[Mak]

I put the brooder on a big table in the basement. Clean it out daily so there is little smell. And the shop vac takes care of scattered feed and bedding very nicely. And I rarely dust the basement anyway, so that's not an issue.

 

[SJchicks]

I raised my three in the house until they were fully feathered. I have an extra room and as they grew out of the brooder bin, I put down a big plastic tarp with a large cage enclosure on top, filled with pine shavings.

 

[Keri78]

I've raised chicks in the house in the past b/c I hatched them out during cold months. It's enjoyable and fairly easy to manage until a few weeks in and then it just becomes a huge chore and STINKY! After my last batch of chicks that I raised in the house I vowed to NEVER do it again! I have a nice chicken hutch outside that is the perfect brooder! I have to wait until mid June so the outside temps are warm enough at night...but it's sooo much easier when it's OUTSIDE! I also LOVE letting my Broody Mama hens hatch their own babies...this is the easiest method ever for raising chicks! Everyone is different and your house could be set-up more ideally for raising chicks....but as for me my bathroom brooding days are in the past!