Ok to keep chickens in basement for two or three months?

[PhoebeD]

We successfully hatched five chicks last month and have just kicked them out of our living room and into the basement while my friend builds us a coop. She's a little stalled on the project and it just occurred to me to wonder if we might be able to keep them down there until February or early March when it warms up. Is this a terrible idea? There is one window, so not too much natural light, but otherwise it's dry, cool, and safe. Thanks.

 

[ernndbrtt]

You need to have enough space for them. We had our Orps chicks inside up to about 3-1/2 months old until they started pulling each others tail feathers out. We have 17 hens and a roo. We put them outside in the coop and allowed them out during the daylight hours and all are fine now.

 

[1muttsfan]

Well, you can if you want. But -

They will be stinky, dusty, and without adequate space will pick on each other. At 6 weeks they could move into an outdoor coop, maybe with a source of supplemental heat until they acclimate to the weather. You will not be sorry to have them out of your house.

 

[WRVgirl]

I keep mine inside until 5-6 weeks, or whenever I just can't stand it anymore....usually when they start figuring out how to escape the tub...or when I come home and the chickens are hanging out on the couch curled up with our dogs...

This last batch went outside super early...there were 7 of them and after 3.5 weeks I just couldn't handle it anymore.

That being said, my first batch [2 BOs] lived inside until they were almost 10 weeks old. They stayed in the tub and roosted on the lip of it at night. Never had any problems with them pecking of messing with each other...but there were only 2 of them, they were stuck together and didn't really have a choice.

 

[WRVgirl]

I did make a makeshift pen and put them outside during the day though...so they weren't confined all the time.

Is making a quick PVC chicken tractor an option? That way they can spend the days safe outside and maybe only come in at night?