Stinky brooder!

[Lazy Farmer]

Even if you only have 4 chicks, it is wise to have 2 brooder tubs. One for the chicks and the other on stand by. When the inhabited brooder reaches the stage where it needs to be cleaned, your second tub is right there waiting to be put in service. Then take the dirty tub outside, empty the contents, spray it out. Let it dry and you are ready for the next swap out.
A well maintained brooder will not smell while the chicks are tiny. It is when they start to grow, clean out will be a lot more often.
Lining the bottom of the tubs with paper makes for ease of clean up as well. The shaving and poo stick to the paper not the tub.
Cleanliness is next to smelly-less..

 

[Fancychooklady]

I keep mine in the laundry for the first 3 weeks then they go outside during the day. I put paper towel down for the first 2 weeks and replace it daily, sometimes twice daily.

 

[RodNTN]

We have 4 chicks also, and I haven't smelled anything once (thankfully!)
I would clean their brooder out once a day, and let them spend their days outside. It works!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I recently discovered that all pine shavings aren't equal. I've been buying the same brand of them for years and they are always fluffy and fragrant.

Well I must have gotten the bottom of the bin this time. Darker flat small woodchip type stuff. New hatched chick poop just sat on top vs sifting down into the fluff and staying clean on top. Dirty chick feet and yes they actually smelled bad at a few days old. Big flakes bad.

Curly fluffy good.

I hang feeders and water. I want them to almost have to stretch a tiny bit to get both. Cuts cleaning way way down.

 

[llombardo]

Even if you only have 4 chicks, it is wise to have 2 brooder tubs. One for the chicks and the other on stand by. When the inhabited brooder reaches the stage where it needs to be cleaned, your second tub is right there waiting to be put in service. Then take the dirty tub outside, empty the contents, spray it out. Let it dry and you are ready for the next swap out.
A well maintained brooder will not smell while the chicks are tiny. It is when they start to grow, clean out will be a lot more often.
Lining the bottom of the tubs with paper makes for ease of clean up as well. The shaving and poo stick to the paper not the tub.
Cleanliness is next to smelly-less..View attachment 1333336

This is a good idea. I clean mine with them in their or they fly out. They have no fear of the broom or my feet. They go about their business and I go about mine. I scrubbed the whe bathroom down in Sunday, by Monday you would not have known it. At least I know the bathroom will come clean once they are outside.

 

[Folly's place]

Mine start in the brooder in the garage, and at about three weeks of age, move to a separate area in the coop, with their heat lamp. In the house? No way! You do need to get them out of the kitchen at least. YUCK! Far, far away from food prep, and out away from everyone breathing all that dust.
If it's really smelly, it's maybe too crowded, too damp, or something. There will be some odor, but not awful. What's awful is the dust!
Mary

 

[Mountain_artist]

I recently discovered that all pine shavings aren't equal. I've been buying the same brand of them for years and they are always fluffy and fragrant.

Well I must have gotten the bottom of the bin this time. Darker flat small woodchip type stuff. New hatched chick poop just sat on top vs sifting down into the fluff and staying clean on top. Dirty chick feet and yes they actually smelled bad at a few days old. Big flakes bad.

Curly fluffy good.

I hang feeders and water. I want them to almost have to stretch a tiny bit to get both. Cuts cleaning way way down.

That's what I'm noticing about these pine shavings too--from what everyone has told me/what I have read, the pine litter is supposed to just soak mess up and not stink, but mine just lets the poop sit on top and stink. I then go in and turn it over or put new on top like I've read to do, but it almost immediately gets too deep and even grosser! Maybe I have a bad batch. My current setup does not enable me to hang food and water, but water is set atop a couple wooden blocks, maybe 6"? The just fly up and perch on the edge of the water basin and poop!! Naughty babies.

Mine start in the brooder in the garage, and at about three weeks of age, move to a separate area in the coop, with their heat lamp. In the house? No way! You do need to get them out of the kitchen at least. YUCK! Far, far away from food prep, and out away from everyone breathing all that dust.
If it's really smelly, it's maybe too crowded, too damp, or something. There will be some odor, but not awful. What's awful is the dust!
Mary

Yes, I agree, they need to go OUT!! We have no garage, the house was newly build on a little blob of land on a mountainside, and we moved in 6 months ago, so it's literally just a house right now! I have a shed on order.

They are at least in the dining part of the kitchen, not the cooking part, and at first it was a non-issue, but at 3.5 weeks old, it's becoming a problem. AND, I am discovering that I am allergic to them, which is something that had never occurred to me before getting them but makes perfect sense in hindsight. My oldest daughter may also be allergic. We've both had runny noses and that feeling of *almost catching a cold but not quite*, for 2 weeks now. The seasonal allergies in my area are among the worst in the country, so it didn't initially jump out at me to blame the chicks, but after the mess and smell they're making, it can't be good for us.

 

[Mountain_artist]

After we had them outside this afternoon, I did clean their box and replace bedding, which I will start to do daily now. I will also put some paper under the bedding until I can find some of the other stuff. They will start to spend much more time outside now during the day too. I am in survival mode and hope that by the weekend, my husband can at least construct the run part of the coop for daytime use. Thanks for the tips!!

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Do you have a stick or something you can shimmy across the tub? This will give them something to roost on besides their water area. Chickens naturally seek a place to roost.

 

[Stephine]

We brood in the kitchen. Large moving boxes and a thick layer of shavings (start with 3 inches) - add more daily over the exposed poops you see. Clean all out when the layer gets too tall. Put a wire cover over the top so bo ones flies out. I could never stand loose chicks in the house! Use a nipple waterer. Put the feeder up in an overturned flowerpot. No issues.