Smell forces alternate brooder. with pics

[naillikwj82]

We were brooding 25 CX chicks in an attached garage using a cardboard box from a double wide refridge, and with deep bedding. Wrong time of year, but now we're committed or need to be. Our first for time for CX. The smell was just too much, it was coming into the house like Bill Cosby's Chicken Heart that ate Phili. They are not feathered enough for the tractor yet. Our temporary solution was to borrow a 5 X 10 foot utility trailer and convert it to a deep bedding brooder. Currently using a 250 watt red heat bulb and tarp. It is too warm 60 degree's at the feeders. So will reduce bulb to 100 watt. Although with 25 birds (65 - 75 pounds) they are probably creating enough heat on their own. Thoughts on that?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/110490_dsc_0222.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/110490_dsc_0224.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/110490_dsc_0226.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/110490_dsc_0227.jpg

Hope that they feather pretty soon.

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

When my daughter and her family left for a vacation to the beach this past August, they brought down their incubator loaded with eggs due to hatch at any time.

The first night, 3 eggs hatched, the next morning 3 more....before long I had chicks all over the place. My son-in-law had brought down a big, plastic tub with a light, food, feeders, waterers and I provided the shredded newspaper. Got the nursery tub all set up nice and it looks quite comfortable. I was loving watching them peck their way out into the world. I'm loving the experience and sending pictures to them from my cell phone as each new chick arrived. What fun!

Day One, everything was perfect! All kinds of cute baby chicks to hold and yes, I even kissed them on their little heads. This is so much fun!

Day Two, chicks all happy, nice and warm, eating, drinking and pooping well. I'm so busy changing out the bedding, it kind of stinks around here.

Day Three, I'm starting to think it's not as much fun as I thought it would be! It's alot of work! It stinks even more.

Day Four, OMGosh, how many more days are left of this????

Day Five, I gag whenever I have to go into the Utility Room to clean out their tub.

Day Six, I hate chicks! I hate my daughter for doing this to me!

Day Seven, I'm actually counting down the seconds for when my daughter and son-in-law would be home so they could take their chicks back up to their house! Never again, will I have anything that eats and poops that much in my house!

To this day, if I smell anything at all that resembles that stink, I break out in a sweat...hives would be sure to follow if I smell it for long.


When I get my pullets later next month, and when they start to lay, the only place those eggs will end up is in my skillet! Promise.

 

[Vinniemac]

As you may have read in my post I Have never had chickens before.I keep reading these posts and get great information I was planning on putting the brooder in my basement. but after reading this post it may be a problem.I plan on only 4 hens. Will I have a problem with the smell in my house?
Vinniemac

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
LOL... Keep the bedding as dry as you can, and the smell will be minimal. Smells are VERY objective, (Cornish X are obviously the worst for smell) and that has never been an issue to me... It is the dander that get me crazy! Good luck!

 

[Time-Out]

4 will be fine. If it starts to smell, just clean them out. Make sure you can tell the difference between the smell of chickens and the smell of their poo. I love the smell of chickens, but can't stand their poo. With four, you may be able to clean them out once a month if you have a 9 sqft brooder. I used a kid's paddling pool with chicken wire and cling film (the transparent stuff you use on food to keep it fresh) to stop the bedding being kicked out.

 

[GA_in_GA]

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[Darklingstorm]

Are you mixing the litter every day? I keep new chickens in a tote in the living room for the first week and twice a day I will mix up the litter so that there isn't a layer of poop sitting on top. Chicks will eventually do this themselves but till then its up to "MOM" to do the scratching. I've never had a problem with smell till I raised two ducks, never again in the house.

 

[Tracydr]

I use a rubber tote as I find cardboard can't be cleaned and dried. Some people use small livestock watering tanks. I think with the Cornish, since their poo is so wet and abundant, the cardboard will be a problem.
You may want to add something more absorbent to the shavings or use an alternative bedding. I use either rice hulls, my preferred bedding or pine pellets ( kitty litter or horse stall pellets). They are far more absorbent than pine shavings.
With the Cornish you're going to have to change out the bedding a lot more than regular chicks, they eat, drink and poo like no other chick. But, I've raised three batches in the house and the smell can be minimized with dry bedding. If it smells, it's the wet bedding creating ammonia.

 

[Hobiedog]

I can't remember the last time that I laughed this hard. I had tears streaming down my cheeks.
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[OnceAroundTheBlock]

Thanks Hobiedog, I do get carried away sometimes......