Raising chicks indoors and allergies- coincidence?

[Malibu99]

Hey there,

I've had the chicks in my room (bad idea, but bowhere else to put them) for around 6 weeks now and I'm beginning to get allergies. Sore throat, stuffy nose, etc. My room is also covered in dust, and I'm wondering if this is the cause, or if it's just the maple trees pollinating again. Is there any way to cut down on the dust? The brooder shavings are changed every few days. They will be moved into the coop in 2 weeks maximum (coop isn't finished).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Folly's place]

Dust is not your friend; get them out of your room ASAP! They should be feathered out and ready for at least room temp., or outside with protection and maybe a small heat lamp. Your garage or someone's garage? Mary

 

[Blooie]

I agree totally with Mary...it's time to get them out. It will take a long time to get the dust out the way it is, and if you are having allergy symptoms it's sorta past time to start. It took us days to get it out of my husband's office when ours were 5.5 weeks old, and they are now almost 12 weeks, been outside since early April, and I'm still finding spots I missed. I'll handle my next batch of chicks differently....I'll set up the order to receive them later in the year (February in Wyoming with 19 below zero temps the day they arrived was NOT smart on my part) and they'll be brooded outside in a partitioned off portion of the coop using the straw cave/heating pad method I saw on the forums.

 

[Malibu99]

Thank you both. I will move them ASAP, hopefully tomorrow. I'm not sure where to though. We have a screen porch, would that work or is it too cold with a heat lamp?

 

[Blooie]

Thank you both. I will move them ASAP, hopefully tomorrow. I'm not sure where to though. We have a screen porch, would that work or is it too cold with a heat lamp?

Depends on your outside temps. I have had mine out in their coop since they were well feathered at just over 5 weeks old, and it was cold! But it was either figure out something or get rid of them totally, I was that fed up with the in-house brooding. I'd turned off the heat lamp the week before, and when they seemed to be just fine I started cracking a window open in there daily. The coop wasn't even completely finished when I moved them out - we finished it by working around them. The next couple of nights it snowed. I put the heat lamp out there the first night because the wireless thermometer I had in the coop was showing that it was in the 20s inside the coop. Every time I checked on them (several times the first night) they were snuggled in front of pop door sleeping soundly, despite my over-worrying. The second night checked on them only once, and they were all snuggled down in the corner of the coop not even near the lamp. It came out the next day. Even now we just started having night time temps over 38 degrees, but they are thriving! Up on the roosts every night, beautifully feathered, active and content.

The majority of the dust, I've been told by folks more knowledgeable than me, isn't the shavings as much as it is from them. Their feathers have a coating on them and when they come through that coating dries up and comes off - in the form of dust. They also shed some skin and dander. So what you're breathing in is not good for you. If your coop is ready you could just put them out there now. It's got to be warmer where ever you are than it was here in Northern Wyoming when all 22 of mine went out. If you're really worried, I suppose the porch would be alright but I think you're just moving the problem from one room to another. Good luck with them. Just remember this - by 6 weeks their mom wouldn't still be sitting on them and keeping them warm, so relax and start enjoying them instead of dreading the mess in the house! Chickens are supposed to fun, not miserable.

 

[donrae]

Thank you both. I will move them ASAP, hopefully tomorrow. I'm not sure where to though. We have a screen porch, would that work or is it too cold with a heat lamp?

There's no real difference between your screened porch and a coop, I wouldn't think. At 6 weeks, your birds are well able to handle temps down to freezing, so they don't need a heat lamp at all.

Just a visual....all that dust that's coating your room is also coating your sinuses and lungs...

. I never, ever brood in the house. Mine are in an unheated barn from day one. I have very low mortality rates with chicks, no pasty butts, things like that.

 

[Malibu99]

There's no real difference between your screened porch and a coop, I wouldn't think. At 6 weeks, your birds are well able to handle temps down to freezing, so they don't need a heat lamp at all.

Just a visual....all that dust that's coating your room is also coating your sinuses and lungs...

. I never, ever brood in the house. Mine are in an unheated barn from day one. I have very low mortality rates with chicks, no pasty butts, things like that.

Okay, I'm moving them out to the porch in a few minutes. The only one I'm concerned about is my little cockerel, who has almost no feathers or fuzz left, but he can snuggle up to the other pullets.

Next time, I'm brooding them outdoors.

Depends on your outside temps. I have had mine out in their coop since they were well feathered at just over 5 weeks old, and it was cold! But it was either figure out something or get rid of them totally, I was that fed up with the in-house brooding. I'd turned off the heat lamp the week before, and when they seemed to be just fine I started cracking a window open in there daily. The coop wasn't even completely finished when I moved them out - we finished it by working around them. The next couple of nights it snowed. I put the heat lamp out there the first night because the wireless thermometer I had in the coop was showing that it was in the 20s inside the coop. Every time I checked on them (several times the first night) they were snuggled in front of pop door sleeping soundly, despite my over-worrying. The second night checked on them only once, and they were all snuggled down in the corner of the coop not even near the lamp. It came out the next day. Even now we just started having night time temps over 38 degrees, but they are thriving! Up on the roosts every night, beautifully feathered, active and content.

The majority of the dust, I've been told by folks more knowledgeable than me, isn't the shavings as much as it is from them. Their feathers have a coating on them and when they come through that coating dries up and comes off - in the form of dust. They also shed some skin and dander. So what you're breathing in is not good for you. If your coop is ready you could just put them out there now. It's got to be warmer where ever you are than it was here in Northern Wyoming when all 22 of mine went out. If you're really worried, I suppose the porch would be alright but I think you're just moving the problem from one room to another. Good luck with them. Just remember this - by 6 weeks their mom wouldn't still be sitting on them and keeping them warm, so relax and start enjoying them instead of dreading the mess in the house! Chickens are supposed to fun, not miserable.

It's fairly warm here, temps mid-60's during the day and 40's-50's at night. Unfortunately, this is what the coop looks like at the moment.

We're going camping in a few weeks so it has a 2-week time limit. I'll go bring them out to the porch now. The other two coops in the background don't have any room left.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Malibu99]

Well, it's 2AM and I'm missing my little cheepers' songs. It's for the better though. :/ they seem to like all of the sunlight in the porch though. And I can breathe. LOL

 

[greasemonkey88]

That's excellent to hear. A sick caretaker isn't what those little guys need.