Lighting for indoor chickens

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Holy moly! What kind of construction are they doing that it's not safe to be outside? I have construction near my home... 2 houses being built down the block and a complete tear-out and re-do of road paving at the end of my street. There's noise and beeping all day long but no dust. I would think there could be at least some hours your chicks could be outside to enjoy some sunshine. You will find that chickens are very different from other indoor birds... they'll probably create more dust and dander than the construction site! Even only 2 chicks will be a real challenge to keep inside (at least for me!) longer than 4-5 weeks.

I've always brooded in the house with a homemade heater plate near a window for natural light and taken my chicks for outside visits starting at 1 week, then move to the coop at 2 weeks. But I think if you must keep them in, any regular bulb will work if you keep it on and off in the natural daylight cycles. Do NOT use fluorescent bulbs though... they are like a strobe light in chicken vision.

You can also offer some enrichment to their cage:
  • mirror for chicks to admire themselves
  • shallow container (or cake pan) filled with sand or untreated potting soil for dust baths
  • a chunk of sod from outside to help chicks start building immunities to their future environment. They love scratching a dirt clod and nibbling the grass.
  • a sturdy perch made from scrap wood or branches
  • it's also helpful to raise the food and water up on a brick to about shoulder height, to keep it cleaner.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC. I hope that you enjoy your time here.

This is a useful link of “How to” BYC guides to take a look at announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3. I’d suggest including your location using the guide in the link. You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find your State's thread.

Best wishes

Pork Pie
 
sourland said:
Welcome to BYC. Any possibility of a smaller outside pen where they could spend a couple of hours after the 'work day' is completed ?
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Thanks for the advice but unfortunately "no" they are painting and putting tar on road and just a mess haha That is why the only safe place for my girls is the basement. Again only for a few months. It will be a pain keeping it clean but I built a coop and small run in basement for them haha friends think I'm crazy but they are my pets and I would do anything I can to keep them safe. No different than a dog or cat haha thanks again
 
You may want to rethink having two full size chickens inside you home. I also had a parrot and understand how messy they are but chickens are another thing. They create A LOT of dust. I order to keep them happy they need to be able to scratch in dirt and eat bugs. They will get use to the noise and the construction dirt and dust won't bug them any.
 

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