Brooding my chicks in a TENT! 🐥

[ChickyCh00k]

I am absolutely loving this setup! I can get in the tent with them and they jump onto my lap, fall asleep on me, and are just less fearful of me in general. So far so good! 8 babies in an 8x8 tent in my spare bedroom.

They started in an enclosed area within the tent (on paper towel that I was changing 2-3 times per day ):

After a few days, (once they were good eaters, drinkers, and they knew how to find their heat plate) I offered chick grit, and added hemp bedding in the whole tent and opened it up, so they had full range of the area (so much cleaner - I dont have to change it multiple times!):

I have an air cleaner running 24/7 because I was warned about dust, but the hemp bedding is virtually dust-free (although I'm sure the chicks will be adding their own dust soon enough). There's ventilation netting around the entire top of the tent, so it lets the natural daylight in and air in/out. The bottom couple feet of the tent is not "screen", so I'm hoping that will also help to contain 'bird dust'. This is the tent:

For anyone who wants really tame, friendly babies (and hopefully adults), I think this is a wonderful way to brood chicks!

I'm going to try and keep this updated for my own records and to keep a journal of sorts on how things progress as the chicks get older.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Neat idea! Is the tent outside, or in a secure indoor area (house, garage, she'd, etc.)?

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Neat idea! Is the tent outside, or in a secure indoor area (house, garage, she'd, etc.)?

It's in my spare bedroom!

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

She said it was in her spare bedroom.

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

It's in my spare bedroom!

Sorry! I just saw that you replied.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Sorry! I just saw that you replied.

No worries

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It's in my spare bedroom!

Oh cool! I somehow missed that. Great idea! You have something very nice (and cute!) to sing you to sleep at night. I hope it works on the dust!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

This morning, in the tent: The Buff Orp chicks are getting lots of *big girl* wing feathers...the Barred Rocks, not so much, lol. They wake up, get lots to drink and eat, then stop by my lap for a visit (I sit on an old, folded up yoga mat that I bring in and take out - sitting on the hemp isn't super comfy).

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

This morning, in the tent: The Buff Orp chicks are getting lots of *big girl* wing feathers...the Barred Rocks, not so much, lol. They wake up, get lots to drink and eat, then stop by my lap for a visit (I sit on an old, folded up yoga mat that I bring in and take out - sitting on the hemp isn't super comfy).
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Looks like you're doing great!

(Tip: If possible, discourage them from pecking you, even though it's cute. I spent a lot of time with this year's chicks like that, but in their coop, from the start. Now they're much bigger and find it ok to painfully scratch with their beak and peak me all the time. )

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Looks like you're doing great!

(Tip: If possible, discourage them from pecking you, even though it's cute. I spent a lot of time with this year's chicks like that, but in their coop, from the start. Now they're much bigger and find it ok to painfully scratch with their beak and peak me all the time. )

Thanks for the tip! I'm pretty good about not letting them peck my skin - I have A LOT of freckles and a few of the babies have mistaken them for bits of food, and they pecked at the freckles *hard*, lol! I nipped that in the bud quick!