Raising Silkie Chicks in the winter

[TanisGirl]

So... it’s November and I wanted to get an order of Silkie chicks to have ready for breeding by late spring/early summer. I raised them this summer with ease. Here’s the catch though.. I wanted to know how long they can stay in the brooder for?
I’m going to be living in our Tahoe house, fixing it up some more and getting ready to rent it out in the summer. Because of predators (bears, coons, mountain lions, etc) and the fact that it’s going to be a rental property, my husband won’t let me put a coop there (renters wont be allowed to have animals).
I’m wondering if I can set up a 50 gal “brooder” and keep them (3 or 4 chicks) inside until spring (March). They won’t have anywhere to be outside though until I bring them home to Oregon and put them with our other chickens.
Is this ok or would it be inhumane?

 

[ChickenLeg]

Sounds fine, especially with silkies

 

[aart]

What are the dimensions of the "50 gal brooder"?
Are they bantam silkies?
How old would they be before they got to go 'home'?
Am guessing that space would become inadequate pretty quickly,
and cleaning up after them would be laborious.