Indoor Coop?

[Drk_Wlf]

We have a not quite full basement (I can only stand up completly in areas where there is no heater ducts or water piping) and we are planning on raising all the chicks I hatch out in said basement. I plan on having around 30 chickens living in the basement for the winter, does anyone have any good ideas for housing? We have a large-dry area that I was thinking about just gating off and puting down a bunch of wood shavings. The floor is concrete so it shouldn't be hard to clean up and in the spring after the chicks are moved out I can just bleach and powerwash the floor. Any ideas?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Humm -

A Picture might help, having a hard time seeing your "Set-Up."

 

[joebryant]

Be prepared for at least a half inch of dust (no kidding) all over the basement and on EVERYTHING. It'll also be upstairs if there are any air leaks. The world goes around a lot faster if you can raise chicks outside, especially in the spring.

 

[Drk_Wlf]

I figured I would gate a section off, kind of like a pack and play for chickens

 

[annie3001]

ok so you want 30 chickens in the house/basement for the winter? could you put a 250 watt safely heat lamp in their coop.? pictures might help us tho.


personally i would not that many chickens in the house. just saying, but if you think it might work. try it out. but i would have some sort of back up plan.

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Quote:
There already is a half an inch of dust on everything

I think I will probably invest in an air filter or five

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
There already is a half an inch of dust on everything

I think I will probably invest in an air filter or five

If you have an outside door to and/or lots of windows in the basement, you can open all of them and use a hand blower to blow the dust out, but first buy several cheap dust masks from Home Depot and wear them.

 

[annie3001]

i was looking at your "byc" page i didnt see a chicken coop? where are the birds housed now?

 

[pontoosuc]

Wow, sounds like a great winter project, but definitely have to agree. That's a lot of chickens, and that's, really, a LOT of dust!

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Quote:
I am at work

but I can post pics of my basement when I get home (its a giant mess right now, the hubby needs to pick up his tools), I don't have room in the coop for that many chicks right now. I will be making soup out of some of the hens next spring. These are my replacment I am raising, plus I am hoping that with this many chicks I will end up with around 10 - 15 pullets, the roosters are dinner as soon as they get big enough. I already have one hen living in my basment; she got sick and was never welcomed back into the flock and then we got attached and couldn't "do the deed" so she is a permenant residence.