Inhouse chicks

[NewHen]

Well, it's been another ~3 weeks and my four chicks now smell. At first I only smelled their pine bedding. I change their pine bedding daily and I have hardware mesh on top of that. My husband and daughter don't seem to notice any smell, but I can definitely smell them now. It is a sort of ammonia like smell. I ordered their coop which should be here in less than 3 weeks. I have a much larger brooder ready for them in the garage and will move them out of my living room this weekend.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Well they sort of do stink but only if you allow the litter to get to soiled but I wouldn't get a 9 year old RIR I would get him the Buff Orpingtons because they are more gentler and won't try to fly/run away from here but it is your call but I wouldn't keep them in there with the Dryer because it would get to hot for them and they grow so fast so if you don't have a coop/run I would get it built before you buy them mine are only 1 month old well 1 month since I bought them and they are already outside in my big coop.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Yes, you sure can raise them up in the house. I did and I just very recently let them move out to their coop just a few days ago. One hatched Dec 22 and the other a few days later...so that was, 3 months in house and I loved it! They are dusty....but if you keep up on their pooping and remember to use the fan (if you're in the bathroom) or an air purifier, you should be OK.

The one thing that my family did complain about (but not much) was that I was after them to keep the light off when they were sleeping. So they learned to use the bathroom at night without the light.

There will be an odor, but if you have a dog that stays inside part time, it is no worse than that!

Good Luck!

 

[BellaLulaFarm]

We had 27 (now 22, they're gradually going to new homes) in the back shower room--initially in the shower, as I could close the door and keep them warmer. Then we gated off the bathroom door, put down bermuda grass on the floor around the toilet, opened the shower door, and the now 4 week olds hop in and out of the shower, up onto the (closed) toilet, and I just "installed" a roost with duct tape to the wall. If they're closed up for a while they're a little smelly, but it just smells like chicken poop. When it gets poopy I put down a new layer of grass. I open the window during the day and the smell is just fine. The quantity of dust is amazing, and I'm glad I have them enclosed in an area that will be easy to clean when we're all done. I'm trying to figure out when to move them outside--the plan is to turn off their light permanently tonight to harden them up and probably put them outside at 5 weeks as it's getting into the 40s and 50s at night now, 60s-70s days. These are our first chicks--the rest of the flock came as adults.

To the more experienced chick raisers, when moving your birds outside at 5-6 weeks, do they have to be "draft free" at night, or would curtained brooder boxes be enough? We do not have electricity/heat lamp capability in the transition coop area.

 

[cheshie]

I currently have 3 pullets in the house (1 week old) and they don't smell at all. I faithfully clean the brooder box once a day and haven't encountered even the faintest smell. That was my husband's concern when I mentioned getting chickens, and even he has commented how he can't smell them at all. I think the biggest key, as everyone said, is keep the bedding fresh and dry. I started my girls on absorbent underpads, like they use in hospitals, and yesterday I put in a mixture of aspen shavings and another kind of bedding that is free from aromatic oils. They absolutely love pecking at the litter and kicking it all around. I also noticed that they seem to like laying in the litter more so that just on the pad.

I hope everything works out well for you and your son. Chickens are really quite fascinating creatures!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I currently have 17 pullets in the house. I give them fresh food and water daily and change out their litter once a week. I don't smell anything. My husband is always telling me that I have an abnormal sniffer because I usually pick up any small odor....I'm even surprised that they don't smell. It's nice having them inside...you won't worry nearly so much and you can get them used to you. Have fun!!

 

[dntd]

Mine is only just over a week and have has no issues and there are 17, my spare bathroom smell anyways though as we have 7 feeder rats those smell ewww!

 

[Purple Veg*n]

Quote:
What do you powder them with? That must be interesting to watch