So many questions

[Ol Grey Mare]

Thanks I have 24two week old chicks in a 4x4 brooder they are the mini bantam chicks one light for heat 75watts I water is in a automatic waterer feed is chick starter that you can buy any where it is still winter here in Wis way to cold for the chicks out side don't want to out them with big hens as they are to young and not warm enough

There are several "automatic waterer" styles - some much more prone to leakage/spillage than others - can you post a photo so we can see just which type you have and how it is situated? That would better enable us to offer suggestions to address whether or not this is one source of the odor you are dealing with. Are you feeding your starter dry, wet or fermented? While it may not seem like it when they are tiny, 16 square feet for 24 chicks, even bantams, is rather crowded - especially if part of that space is also occupied by feed and water stations further reducing the actual square footage available to the birds and for absorbing the incredible amount of waste produced by them in just one day. Seeing the brooder itself would also better allow us to understand the ventilation in place as well as offer suggestions of even small adjustments that can help to alleviate the issue of the odor -- if you are detecting the odor in the room where the brooder is then the conditions within the brooder itself are not healthy for the birds.

 

[TLWR]

24 birds and only changing the bedding out every few days? That's where you can help with the smell. Change daily.

 

[azygous]

4 x 4 is awfully small for 24 chicks. And 24 chicks are going to generate a ton of poop.

I can safely say your chicks are probably as unhappy as you are. They are at the cusp of needing a lot of space to flex their wings and to run. You are going to begin to see some overcrowding issues in the next week unless you do something to provide these chicks the space they need. Pecking each other, open sores, other behavior problems are what you can look forward to.

Do you have a coop? Do you have a way to get electricity out there? Do you have adult chickens?

In spite of it being still winter and cold, moving the chicks to the coop is the best solution to your problems. With adequate heat, chicks can tolerate a certain amount of cold as long as they aren't subjected to cold drafts and dampness.

Some of us have reared baby chicks under some very cold conditions. Chicks are hardier than you may think. As long as they are adequately fed and have a reliable heat source, they won't lose body heat and succumb to the freezing cold.

In the long run, being exposed to cold temps is actually beneficial. The chicks will be fine. They'll be much happier, and so will you.

 

[rustymurphy]

I think you are right I am in process of finishing a brooder house 10x10 if I can hold them in there for a week or two they will be bigger and can go in with the adult chickens I have put some in with the big ones earlier and lost some I don't know why as I have a couple heat lights on so chicks can keep warm I think a coupe of the hens or rooster were harassing them I didn't see any wounds so I don't know so I want this babies to be older before I put them in the coop with the rest

 

[azygous]

Read this. Chicks raised along side adult chickens integrate earlier with complete safety by using these methods:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...rooder-and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors

 

[lazy gardener]

One of the key factors that leads to a smelly brooder is dampness -- the surface of your shavings can look clean and dry, but that layer beneath traps and holds moisture and that leads to STINK! The two common sources of moisture are the chicks' own waste and the water station the chicks have in the brooder. Even when you don't see obvious signs of spillage, it is often a major contributor to damp and smell. What sort of water station are you using, where is it located in the brooder and how is it secured? Another issue is crowding - the more space per bird the less the smell will accumulate -- a small area with lots of birds is going to be smellier than a large area with fewer birds -- how many chicks are you housing and what are the dimensions of the brooder? What are you feeding your chicks? Many report significant reduction in smell of waste by using fermented feeds. What is the ventilation for your brooder like?

Well thought response. I would add: get that waterer hung at chick chest height, or raise it up on blocks to that height, and secure it so they can't tip it over. Fermented feed is a definite help. Also, OP in later post mentioned that she has 24 chicks in 16 s.f. definitely too small. Chicks need space to run and play. If they don't get that, developmental issues as well as behavioral issues are sure to follow. MHP also fosters good social development IMO.

Any good suggestions for raising 9 chick's in one small bathroom for a few weeks?

Yes, don't do it. Get your coop built, if not yet done, and brood them in the coop. If your coop is in operation, and already housing adult birds, build a brooder space in the coop, and set up a Mother Heating Pad brooder in the coop. If your coop is full height, You can set up the brooder without sacrificing floor space by mounting the brooder on a wall, setting it up on saw horses, or setting it under the roosts, with a poop board to keep the brooder clean.