How do I clean my brooder when it starts to get smelly?

[LizzzyJo]

When can I give them the sod, like how old?

Remember that the minute you give them anything other than chick starter -like grass- you have to buy them chick grit to eat or they will get very sick.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Remember that the minute you give them anything other than chick starter -like grass- you have to buy them chick grit to eat or they will get very sick.

If she has rocky soil then it should be ok. I've never bought my chicks grit. They got it from the dirt I gave them in their brooder and now find it in their own.

 

[ChickForLife]

My brooder is about the size of a small couch. How often do I have to clean it? If it is every day or every other day, than that would be very expensive. By the way I have 10 chicks in it. I wanted to give them a lot of room.

 

[AngieDawn]

I have an inside brooder with pine chips.

I clean it out with a shop vac about every few days. As they get bigger it needs to be cleaned out more often.

I spare no expense with the pine chips because they are living in my house and although I’m not fastidious, chicken poop stinks (even baby chickens). And they call them foul for a reason.

 

[ChickForLife]

I have an inside brooder with pine chips.

I clean it out with a shop vac about every few days. As they get bigger it needs to be cleaned out more often.

I spare no expense with the pine chips because they are living in my house and although I’m not fastidious, chicken poop stinks (even baby chickens). And they call them foul for a reason.

How often do you clean and how much does it cost you?

 

[AngieDawn]

How often do you clean and how much does it cost you?

They are 5 weeks old and I’m about half way through a bag of pine chips. The bag was $5.50.

I clean it twice a week at first then about every other day when they get older.

This also depends on how many you have

I have 12 chicks that are 5 weeks old and now another 7 that are a week and younger

 

[ChickForLife]

I have 10 chicks but my brooder is about the size of a couch.

 

[Trisseh]

I’ve got 2, 6 week old chicks, in a 4’ x 4’ small animal playpen (its mesh with a frame and a zippered top) and I use pine pellet bedding, with a sprinkle of shavings overtop. I must say the smell is much less obvious because the pellets absorb so much, and once they’re completely sodden they crumble and create a soft layer. Ever day I just stir it up, pick out obvious poos, and add a scattering of fresh shavings on top. Saves me money and saves my nose! Chicks seem happy and tons of ventilation because the whole thing is mesh, too.

 

[CaradineCousins]

I clean mine everyday also

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Oh my . . . I wanted to ask this but felt some kind of way. Glad OP did.

OK, I am a bad chick mamma, I have had mine since Saturday 7/2. Guess I was waiting for smell or something (shoulder hunch). I do not even see poo. Me thinks maybe I don't know what chick pooh looks like 'cause surely my ladies poo. I have been reaching in there, tapping the floor and such probably had it all over my hands.

Well, today I am going in and cleaning though no smell (and now it is the 7th). Plus, I need to make myself handle them anyway.

Thinking I should put the used shavings somewhere so I can recycle. Or, perhaps place out in the yard. I am wanting to make soil so badly. Composting is on my list of to-do's (for years now