Where do you keep your brooders?

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
My understanding is that you should never use cedar litter for birds as the oils can be harmful. Pine shavings are a better option. Perhaps some of your little ones are being affected by the cedar.

 

[Beekercat]

I'll join you guys in the dining room table club.

We're not a super formal family (obviously!) so we rarely use the DR, although it IS right off the front entrance...nothing says "welcome" like chickens on the dining room table, eh? We're in Florida, so no basements, or else I'm sure they'd be there. I do kinda dig having them RIGHT THERE though, they feel like they're more a part of the family that way. Yeah, I've totally lost it.

My former self would be horrified by my current actions, but what the heck. I was way too prissy before I found chickens.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Mine are in the bathroom, which is right next to our room!

 

[gryeyes]

There's only one bathroom in the house I rent, but there's only one human resident: me! The cat litter box is usually in there, too.

Had to move the litter box out when I got chicks and boy were the cats ticked off about that (it was in October, and in the winter months they actually USE the litter box; not so in the spring, summer or fall).

I'm a messy housekeeper anyway, and have hand raised literally hundreds of abandoned, days old kittens in my 20s and 30s. Got used to messes back then. Nothing like having to massage little kitty bottoms four times a day to MAKE them poop! When you've got 5 to 15 of them at varying ages, the attention they take is far more labor intensive than any chickens. But that was then, before I even thought of chickens.

Got my first chicks in Oct 2007 (after about 20 years hiatus from kitten rearing). Bathroom is the perfect place for the brooder because the surfaces are easy to clean, the door opens OUT so the two dogs cannot push/scratch the door open to get to the chicks. Nor can the cats, but they do put their paws under the door when I'm in there, letting me know they would like to participate in chick-rearing. Hah!

So, I've brooded two batches of chicks, a pair of ducklings, and have a third small group of chicks in there right now. There's a perfect place to sit for long periods of time, watching and interacting with the babies.

 

[lorriemaxx]

In the living room, in a huge (5' X 3' X 3') enclosure I made of wood, chicken wire, and a tarp. They are dusty, but I live on the windy prairie where it is dusty all the time anyway.

 

[shandiane78]

Mine are in a Pack & Play (playpen) in the laundry room. They are almost 5 wks now, and I'm SO ready for them to move outside! I wish the weather would cooperate....

 

[gstone]

Quote:
this is genius! Truly! I'm doing this first thing tomorrow! I've 'bout had it with all this dust!

I've just got 6 3 week olds ~ in my living room.

 

[Laurajean]

My house is tiny with no garage or basement, so my brooder is right in the dining room. However, I lived alone and do not eat in this room. As for dust, mine are less than a week old, but I don't think I'll have dust issues, since I am not using pine bedding. I think the dust is from stirring up the pine bedding. Mine are on layered paper towels, and so far, no dust.

On one hand, I wish I could segregate them from the main living space, but on the other hand, I want to socialize them, and with them located in a main space, I can't help but to stop and check on them more often, and pick them up, etc., which helps to get them used to me and various sounds, TV, phone, etc.

 

[gstone]

Laurajean.... have you done this before? If not... you just wait girl

I didn't have dust at one week either. I'm almost 4 weeks in and beside myself with all this dust! It really is incredible! Until I read all these postings I was wondering if it was the wood chips myself. After research on here I understand it is the process of them getting their feathers

I only wish it was just wood dust! I'm trying the fan trick tomorrow! Very excited!

 

[NurseELB]

Okay, I think I win the redneck award here. I put them in a 2'x2' wire dog crate in the living room. I couldn't stand the thought of the 2 (yes, I started with just 2, picked up an EE yesterday) being stuck in there with no running space. SO, I put sheets all over the living room floor to catch the poop, and I run around every hour or so with a roll of toilet paper and pick it all up. They love it! Plus, my carpet was ruined anyways