OMG! Why?

[laseterlass]

I have it set up in my office in a tupperwear type bucket. They should be here tomorrow. Only 15 so I do not need much room to start. seeing as we are in Alaska I do not want them to think warmth is a natural occurence. I will move them to the garage once the start jumping out of it. Maybe a heating pad under the bucket will help get the temp up without me having to worry about the light being to close.

 

[tinydancer87]

I ONLY brood chicks inside my house. In a giant floor mat display box I got from Sam's Club.

The dust is terrible, but I vacuum all the windowsills and baseboards about once a week, and change their bedding when the smell gets too strong.

I love having them in the house. I'll just pick up a couple, and hold them while I watch TV.

I use a red light, and they still get up at night. The turkeys are the worst--they just "kee kee kee" for no reason! lol

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
If these are the infrared lamps, not just red lens over the bulb, then you CANNOT go by the temperature in the brooder. You will overheat the chicks. The infrared lamps do not heat the air in the brooder, but warm whatever the light itself (the infrared light, not the lamp fixture).

When I used the lamps (now I use a Brinsea EcoGlow brooder heater), I would place it in a corner and point it out at a slight angle so it directed the heat mostly at one end of the brooder and just slightly into the middle-ish. That way the chicks could move into the warmth or away from it as necessary.

 

[epeloquin]

I am brooding our six chicks in the family room of our four room condo. If they are peeping loudly enough to keep you awake they are upset about something. Are you positive they are warm enough. They will peep loudly if they are cold. Is your lamp a 250 watt? Ours are in the next room and they do peep in their sleep but it is a very quiet peep. Are they crowding under the light when it is on? It also seems wired that they sleep all day which can only be explained by their all night peeping. I'm putting my money on them being cold or something like that. Do you have a thermometer to check your temp? Are you keeping their water clean and food full too?

I would be triple checking everything that relates to their comfort.

 

[epeloquin]

Don't let anyone give you a bad time about brooding chicks indoors. They need constant monitoring especially over the first few weeks. I police my brooder several times a day for poo and check their water and food to be sure it is clean. The only odor we have had is the smell of the wood shavings itself which is not unpleasant. We're brooding six chicks in a UHaul box for moving TVs, 24"x24"x24" and everything is working GREAT. Don't let people give you static. There's nothing in the world wrong with brooding in your home (although our condo association might disagree with me

...LOL...shhhhhhhh!! We're almost done!

) Who us? Chickens in our condo!?

 

[Posh Chickens]

Cuddly Toys? Like a bear, or a chicken?

 

[misslady]

As long as you run power to the coop so you can turn on their heat lamp and give them their own seperate space so that they don't get pecked on by your big girls, I don't see how it would be too much of a problem. As long as they're sheltered, warm, and dry, I don't think they'll be too upset.

I've been brooding two batches of chicks in my garage, each with their own 250w red bulb and they've both done famously. Where we live in Michigan it's still dropping down into the 40's at night, so I just make sure to run out and peek at them, if they're huddled in a tiny, fluffy heap then I lower the lamps.. if they're avoiding it, I raise it. Also, check out tractor supply's website, or even walmart's, to find a red bulb. They've been worth their weight in gold for me.

By the way... Super jealous you get to keep your chicks inside! When I brought that idea up to my obsessively tidy husband he just shook his head and looked at me like I was the crazy chicken lady.

Keep us posted!

 

[WVChickenFarmer]

I just wanted to say last night went a lot better.

The kids did not hear them making any noise last night. So hopefully they will be fine for another few weeks. I will probably move them on out to the coop in a brooder in the next week or two.

 

[Judy]

A lot of people do brood in the house, and lots of places suggest this. It always surprises me, more because of the dust and dander (and dried poop dust) than things like odors or noise. It is certainly not the old fashioned way to do it. I did it once because i thought I needed to. I'll never do it again.

Some will always choose to, though, and of course that is their choice. But I do encourage anyone who is bothered by it to make a plan to do it outdoors.