Northerners--where do you brood your winter chicks?

[Rare Feathers Farm]

All good ideas...we have a ranch style home with no stairs, basement or garage. We have several outbuildings, but none are heated or have electricity to them. I have TONS of tubs, aquariums & cages from my days of larger-scale reptile raising...My hubby is seriously O.C. and is VERY sensitive & DRAMATIC about smells. I think even if I had the time & energy to get all of the brooders cleaned/scrubbed TWICE per day, he'd STILL complain! LOL But I think I'll be firing up the 'bator this weekend and getting it set for my next hatch. I'm getting a dozen eggs...so even if all of them hatch, I do not think I'd be too overwhelmed with chicks...I'll probably start them out in the rubbermaid tubs & then move them to one of my reptile tanks...I doubt I'll be able to put them outside until May, though...I wonder how hard 12 little diaper butt chicks would be to manage? HA!

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
He'll get over it.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

That's kind of what I was thinking...he has in the past...I mean, who can resist 12 banty mille cochins chicks, anyway??

 

[erthymom2]

What a great idea..i will definitely try that!




Quote:
The heat lamps have to be hung/mounted beneath the furnace filters. The filters CANNOT touch any part of the heat lamp fixture. If you're using a tote brooder, just put the filters over the "open" end of the tote away from the heat lamp. It won't stop the dust all together, but it will help tremendously. You can also take an old screen from a storm door and put over the brooder first, then lay the filters on top of that...if you feel more comfortable with it that way.

 

[erthymom2]

Wow, it must be hard to be that sensitive to smells and fragrences...i worked with a gal like that and she had to get her
own closed room office to keep away from perfumes, food smells, etc. It got so bad she couldn't go shopping at the mall because of no fresh air inside the malls.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Yeah...most (if not all of it) is in his head, though!

The rest, I do believe is his way of disliking my poultry! We got into a fight a few weeks ago because I wanted to bring Clementine inside when she was injured (complete with chicken diapers). I said I'd bathe her, clip her nails & diaper her butt, but he was FREAKING OUT and called me "weird!"

 

[shelleyb1969]

Quote:
I would've brought Clementine in, and sent him OUT...to sleep in the coop!

 

[arabookworm]

we're in PA, and currently have 11 chicks in our basement. up until yesterday they were in our living room. just a word of advice, if they're in your house, change the litter often or give them a lot of space. or both.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
I would've brought Clementine in, and sent him OUT...to sleep in the coop!

Pretty much! LOL He's never home (he works a lot & coaches every sport known to man)...I keep threatening him that I'll make her a perch on his side of the bed, LOL

 

[CARS]

Great ideas on dust control and where to keep them in a house but I need to ask one very important question...

HOW THE HECK DO YOU TALK YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER INTO BRINGING BIRDS IN THE HOUSE????

I doubt it would ever happen at my house. I guess I am just going to have to wait until April/May