First Time Booder -Don't Want the Smell-!

[awtandrocks]

I'm getting my first batch of Barred Rocks chicks probably this week. I don't have a garage or any outbuildings with power so I will be brooding these in the house and my wife is not real thrilled about the prospect of the smell in her house.
So any tips on how to keep the order down?
From my research it looks like a deep bed of pine shaving etc, and turn it regularly but I'd like some feedback from those that are doing it!

BTW I'm in FL so with the weather as warm as it has been i will probably be able to put them out to the coop pretty early.

-AWT

 

[Judy]

Would it be possible to run an extension cord (safely) and brood them in the coop? They wouldn't need heat for long, and probably only at night, maybe from day one, in this weather. And they probably won't need anything as strong as those 250W heat lamps.

 

[Burbs]

We ran a brooder with 25 chicks in the house this spring. The smell was not bad if we changed out the shavings every other day. The smell will be the least of your concerns, she is going to love the fine white dust that goes everywhere!

 

[ShaggysGirl]

June was my 1st time with chicks. I had two large totes with shaving in it and I would rotate them each day so the litter would dry out and I'd add a little more litter each night and put the chicks in the dry tote.
The only thing my dh complained about was the amount of dust they create. the smell wasn't to bad till they started to get big.

 

[onthespot]

The main thing that makes it smell is if their bedding gets wet. You can help that by putting the waterer in a low plastic tray that will catch the water (should be able to hold a few liters) in the event it runs low and they knock it over.

 

[Judy]

I brooded two batches in a spare bedroom; kept the door closed and the window at least cracked. The smell was barely noticeable and I'm not sure I ever actually cleaned out the brooder, just added pine shavings. But the dust was AWFUL. The dust is why I'll never do it again. Can't be healthy for anyone. Some is from the pine shavings but lots is from the chicks themselves.

 

[Zahboo]

I have 7 bantams in my bedroom and don't smell them. I use paper towels the first week, changing them everyday before I go to bed. Then with past chicks, do a layer of paper towels on the bottom of the brooder with a layer about 2" of shavings. Clean the brooder every 2 days. Now once they get about 4 weeks old, the stench comes because they are bigger. I start putting them out today, build them a chick perch for the brooder at night. This way they are outside when most active

 

[Zahboo]

oops double post, my bad

 

[rhodiegal]

I agree with the rest - they don't start to smell until they are older and the poops get bigger. The thing I don't like about keeping them inside is the layer of dust that covers everything in the room. I don't know if it is from the wood shavings or the food, but it drives me crazy. I would just keep a swiffer handy.

 

[awtandrocks]

Thanks for all the replies.

The coop which is under construction right now is about 150ft from the nearest power but I guess getting power to it might be worth it. ( I was unaware of the dust) I will have to put some extra care into making the enclosed part easily accessible to make brooding easy.