Indoor Coop?

[annie3001]

okay cool... looking forward to the photos.....

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Quote:
I have a coop, I just dont have pics up. I can only house around 15 or so birds in it and there are 10 in it now, most of the hens are going the way of the soup ketle this spring though, so I wanted replacements ready.

 

[annie3001]

delicious.

 

[Drk_Wlf]

I am saying 30 bird as a ruff estimate I have 2 chicks right now and 27 eggs in the bator, I don't expect all of them to hatch and out of all of the birds I doubt all of them will be female.

 

[featherbaby]

You WILL need a commercial fan/air filter arrangement downstairs, vented to the outside (like a laundromat). Otherwise you will have more than just dust, you'll have ammonia odor all through your house. Make sure the ventilation system in your house does not include the basement. Also the dust from the dried poop will be in a "closed" environment and can contribute to respiratory conditions in you and your family (and your flock of birds) that are difficult to get rid of (like "pigeon lung"). Also, you should paint the concrete floor with a sealer and then two good coats of concrete paint. Concrete is porus and will soak in and hold odors long after the birds are gone.

You can do this, but it is going to be a lot more work bringing shavings in, and carrying dirty shavings out. If you put it outside things get considerably simpler. You can build a coop next to the house and let nature do the ventilation/filtering for you. You can cover it in winter and put a heater in it at night (I do this so I know it works). If you're like me you'll want this to be as easy to maintain as possible so you can spend more time enjoying the chickens and less time dreading the cleaning, HA!

 

[Drk_Wlf]

I know dust is going to be an issue, but I want hens ready to lay in the spring/summer and it is just so much cheeper keeping them in the basment where it is nice and warm, then running another heat lamp outside. I have the heat lamp on the chicks I have now, but after they start to feather out I can turn it off because my basement is always between 65-70 degrees.

 

[annie3001]

after reading comments here and You asking about this, i would if I was you start building a bigger coop for them outside. you need wood, just enough to make sides etc. it doesnt have to be pretty. cut a hole for a window etc. really i would not even consider 30 plus (or whatever) (thats too many) inside the house...
Your human health (and others that live with you) should be top priority. REgardless even IF you plan on eating them for din din later on.
Can you build a quick coop. yes you can.
i would NOT put that many chickens in the house period. Good luck.


p.s. buy plywood, its cheaper. nails. make a box form who cares, just please tell us you wont put that many in the basement?

these are just my opinions.... and my hubby's who i have just told (sitting next to me on the couch)

where are your other livestock living? Currently owned by 4 dogs, 3 cats, 10 hens, 1 Black Australorp Rooster named Zorro, 6 (soon to be 4) Ducks, 4 goats, 3 sheep, & 2 pigs. and I am just getting started!

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Quote:
This was the type of impute I was looking for, I can manage the air ventulation (we have windows and a vent duct for our old dryer that we can hook something up to. We will probably put something on the floor then, or make a raised floor. With all the snow we get keeping them inside will make it easier to clean and take care of them, I dread cleaning the outdoor coop in the winter. We have doors to the outside in our basment to bringing in fresh bedding and taking out the soiled bedding is not an issue. We already have a chicken in the basment and it is were we have always raised our chicks until they are old enough to go outside, I have just never done it with this many chicks before and kept them inside for such a long period of time. The winters are so cold here that I won't feel comfortible just plopping them outside once they are fully feathered after being used to being inside.

 

[carrlr]

There have been some good suggestions on here. Since these "30" are mostly still in the egg, I think you have some time to work with. IMO, you can have a temporary set-up in your basement since they will be little and you won't have as much to clean up. But I wouldn't plan on having 30 all the way until spring. I think you'll have time to get an outside coop ready for them and as soon as they feather out you could move them in.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It is not going to be anything LIKE cheaper, once you factor in buying a serious fan/ventilation system AND the resulting dust/mildew/odor damage/depreciation to your basement and probably some of the rest of the house too. Don't count on being able to just dust and mop and have things go back to the way they were before. There are likely to be permanent effects.

For say 20 chickens you should be able to get away with just 100-200 watts of power needed in an unheated-outbuilding brooder, if you do things right.

JMHO,

Pat