"My house became a chicken coop. How did this happen!"

[GiddyMoon]

SAME HERE! We moved out of state a year ago and we were in a vacation rental for 9 mths. We finally moved in here 3 mths ago but we don't have a washer and dryer in our laundryroom either..I won't buy new..waiting for a good deal on craigslist. LOL The brooder is going where the washer and dryer are supposed to be. LOL

 

[RaZ]

So I'm not as crazy as I thought. They were supposed to go in the insulated garage but I did not have time to create a good spot (darn finals). So I put the brooder in the living room. Then 4 weeks later I bought some day-old ducks. So now there are 2 100 gallon water troughs (brooders) in my living room. Nice thing about it is that the heat lamps help keep the house warm.

Tomorrow I start making a spot for them in the garage. No really, I promise...tomorrow...or maybe Friday. ;-)

 

[hoping4better]

Nope - not crazy, unless we all are

I had 20 chicks that I raised from 3 days old to about 10 weeks in the LIVING ROOM. I had a brooder I made out of a sheet of plywood and some 1x12s for sides that sat in the corner. We had some netting and framing for the top. It worked out nicely EXCEPT for all the dust! On the bright side the kids LOVED seeing the chicks every minute of the day and the heat lamp did help keep the living room warm since it was winter at the time.

 

[Cambium29]

OK, so we working a temporary assignment out of state in a little town in Oklahoma and went into a feed/farm store to get something, maybe windshield wiper blades, or some such thing, and came out with the whatever original thing and three baby banty chicks. Hey, I don't know how they got into my shopping cart--I stepped up to the register and they were just there, OK?

Anyhow, we were staying in a resort at a state park so we had to sneak the peepers into the room in a shoe box, muddle together something to keep them safe, warm, and happy, and then sneak them out everyday before the housekeeping came. Chicken Dad couldn't bear to see them all huddled up under the desk lamp at night trying to keep warm so he put them in a plastic cereal bowl full of shredded newspaper and kept them between our pillows at night. During they day, they sat on the computer keyboard, or on our lap, or snuggled into our sweatshirt pocket, occassionally ventured up to perch on our shoulder. On the drive home, they took turns jostling for the cupholders in the truck.

Long story longer, they became VERY attached to us. As in screaming VERY LOUD anytime we left their field of view. We made a little pen for them in the garage but they figured out they could fly over that in no time and then wander thru the kitchen screaming until we either came to "rescue" them, or they finally found us, wherever we were in the house. We gave up on the idea of keeping them penned.

We have two rabbits that have free run of the house, and now three chicks who nestle at our feet in the office, or wait patiently in the bathroom while we shower, or forage for dropped crumbs while we eat dinner. At some point I'm sure these now toddlers will grow into teens and come to believe that we are totally lame and want nothing to do with us but for right now, we're enjoying their company.

 

[Daphne16]

This is too funny. I am hoping my laundry room doesn't become the coop, but it idoes have an outside door and the real coop will be right outside that door. Hmm since laundry room is also dh's office I think that is a no go. Oh and that is where the brooder will be going. We get our chickies sat.

 

[kemclaughlin]

LOL, we are brooding the chicks in a box in our living room. I don't know where else we would keep them. they will be living out in the coop though once they are big enough.

 

[suburbanite]

I can't say they have their own room, but my week old chicks are in a plastic Rubbermaid tote in the corner of my dining room

 

[MareeZoCool]

I could hear my hubby saying the exact words your hubby was saying!

Mom moving in while you're raising chicks in brooders?

Crazy buzy times for you!

hope your new coop gets built quickly, now that your mom is home to stay!

 

[ginger c.]

We've never raised chickens before, but we're about to get two chicks (Araucanas, I think). Although we live in Alabama, it's still not warm enough, so we'll have them in the computer room for a while. I have a question... when do they start hopping out of the brooder? How big will they get between now and when it's warm enough for them to go outside? Any advice/pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[Celtic Chick]

ginger c. :

We've never raised chickens before, but we're about to get two chicks (Araucanas, I think). Although we live in Alabama, it's still not warm enough, so we'll have them in the computer room for a while. I have a question... when do they start hopping out of the brooder? How big will they get between now and when it's warm enough for them to go outside? Any advice/pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

You will get more answers if you start a new thread.

Only 2? You don't know your chicken math, do you?
They have wings, so it can be any time. How tall are the brooder walls? How big are they now? When will it warm up by you?​