What to do with baby chicks

Well, you can keep them inside for the first three weeks and by then they will be much stronger than day olds, although you could toss them out at arrival under a heat lamp but then you couldn't give them as much attention. You will have to keep up on the mounds of dust and litter cleaning if you want the house to be clean and smell free. Then once they are a bit stronger, you can put them in your draft free coop with a heat lamp to keep them warm. You can start phasing out the heat lamp at bout 6-8 weeks old and they should be good to go in the coop. Good luck!

 

My week olds are living in the laundry room, which is also the downstairs bathroom, and by staying on top of the cleaning, the smell hasn't been bad at all. We are planning on moving them outside in probably mid-late October, and we're in Central NY, where we get first snowfall by usually mid-October, though it's not really common until later..

Keeping them inside until they're old enough to take the cold is really not that hard if you're willing to do the work to keep things clean. (or at least it is so far, 7 days in.. )

 

Look around and you will find lots of post about using a big Rubbermaid tote as a brooder. It’s really easy to keep only 25 chicks in one of those for a week or 2. I would use shavings covered with paper towel for easy cleaning. Then put them out in the coop still in the tote, they will be so much stronger for having been assured the right temps for the first bit. All you need in the tote is one, maybe 2 regular household bulbs. Some folks use the lid with the center cut out over the top, I just use tin foil, the heavy BBQ stuff over about half the tote.

If you can get a hold of a huge box, like one that a fridge or stove came in they are great for the transition to the coop too. The cardboard is a natural for insulation and keeps the drafts off the chicks. Line one corner with the BBQ tin foil and make a bit of a tent with it and have your light bulb in there so they can come and go from the warmer area as they need to. Have the feed and water just outside of that area and the chicks will harden themselves off to the outdoor temperature naturally.

 

do you have a spare bedroom? bathroom?

 

Suggestion for protecting the carpet: Buy a heavy duty tarp or better yet, a piece of scrap lineoleum, you can get a fairly large piece at Lowe's for around $20. You will have to line it with something as I don't think walking on it would be good for the chicks, too slick. Maybe put it upside down???? But you could use it as a barrier to protect your carpet, hose it off when you are done and roll it up to use again.
I have not tried this maybe someone else will tell you if this is a good idea.

 

i incubated 6 eggs from my friends farm and 5 hatched. i kept them inside for 3 weeks but this was during summer. make sure as they start to get older your brooder is tall enough otherwise they can easily jump out and make a nonsense mess.

dont keep them to warm for to long otherwise the transition to the cold will be harsh on them.

when they are a day old keep the temp in the brooder at about 95 and decrease it about 5-7 degrees a week by raising the heat lamps height. when if gets to room temp get rid of the lamp except for as light and then (i recomend you look for more infor on this part) you can prolly slowly open the window to get them aclimated to the cold temps. if i was doing it id lower it by only 3 degrees a week but dont go by me look for more info. the first part about 95 degrees is right tho

 

To keep your carpet in one piece, I say line the room with plastic of some sort, put linelonium down and make sure never to spill the water! The main problem with chicken brooder floors is a incident of spilled water and then it will smell to high heaven. I actually use a small kidie pool to house them in for the week or so if I choose to keep them inside.