Lighting for indoor chickens

[Iditarod]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
I agree with @sourland. Try to find a space outside that they can stay for as long as possible every day until the dust settles.

Thanks for the advice. I wish I had someplace outside that would work for them but they are painting and putting tar down on roads so not a very healthy environment for them....or me haha Inside is the only choice for the time being .

 

[Iditarod]

Howdy and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

Thanks for the nice welcome to the site

 

[Iditarod]

Thank you for joining us at Backyard Chickens, hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Thanks for the hospitality and so far the people have been great....but I wouldn't expect anything less from fellow chicken lovers haha We are a special breed and always helpful

 

[Iditarod]

Welcome to BYC.
We are glad you joined this flock!
Jump right in and make yourself at home.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site (how to upload photos too):

Coop Ideas:
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thanks for the welcome ....I appreciate it

 

[Iditarod]

Welcome to our FUNomenal Community! Best wishes and have lots of fun!

Thank you and so far so good....Happy Friday

 

[Iditarod]

Welcome to BYC. Any possibility of a smaller outside pen where they could spend a couple of hours after the 'work day' is completed ?

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

 

[DobieLover]

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

They are actually very different from a dog or cat.
I've never heard of a road project lasting for months in the area of just one home to the point where tar fumes were prevalent the entire time. Sounds like a huge undertaking. I'm hopeful you will be able to get them out into fresh air and sunshine much much sooner than months. Good luck.

 

[Iditarod]

View attachment 1778799
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.

WOW thanks for the suggestions!! They are painting outside too and you can smell the fumes from the paint as soon as you walk outside, ugh Have a great Friday!!

 

[Iditarod]

They are actually very different from a dog or cat.
I've never heard of a road project lasting for months in the area of just one home to the point where tar fumes were prevalent the entire time. Sounds like a huge undertaking. I'm hopeful you will be able to get them out into fresh air and sunshine much much sooner than months. Good luck.

Yes unfortunately we have a huge ground water issue and 3 homes have shifted so they are fixing those and putting in huge drainage things in the neighborhood. Colorado soil is horrible for water movement. Some houses have no water problems but right across the street their sump pump runs 24/7 just to keep basement dry. Hopefully the city will finally fix the issues but I feel it is too late for some of the new homes built that shifted, some by 6 inches ahhhh

 

[NonnasBabies]

Welcome!