Can 12 week old chicks be kept inside?

[Hoilesa18]

Hi!

My husband and I have been planning on getting started with laying chicks in the next 2 weeks but had a slight change in plans. We are brand new to the chicken world and are now to our surprise getting (2) 12 week old chickens in a week. We originally had planned keeping day old chicks in a brooder until the weather breaks then putting up the coop. I guess my question is now that our plans have changed can i keep them in my basement in a large enclosure until our weather warms up? In upstate NY it's been in the 20's for 2 weeks with no sign of that changing for at least 2-3 weeks. We do not have a coop up yet and the ground is frozen with a foot of snow on top.
When the coop is up a friend is giving us a Hen and Rooster to go with the babies also.

Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The temperature isn't an issue, the lack of coop is (and obviously the weather isn't conducive to building right now).

Basement is better than the house proper. Not ideal though as anything you have near the birds will get covered in dander. Is there any natural light down there? Do you have a garage or a shed you could house them in instead? A 3 season porch? Just trying to think of what alternatives there might be.

 

[Hoilesa18]

The temperature isn't an issue, the lack of coop is (and obviously the weather isn't conducive to building right now).

Basement is better than the house proper. Not ideal though as anything you have near the birds will get covered in dander. Is there any natural light down there? Do you have a garage or a shed you could house them in instead? A 3 season porch? Just trying to think of what alternatives there might be.

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately the only current option is the basement, coop and barn are the spring projects

I do have a set of French doors in the basement that give off a lot of natural light, it's an unfinished walk out basement that doesn't get a lot of use so I'm not to worried about dander. I was thinking of putting a big pen in front of those doors so they could see day/ night. The temperature down there is usually about 65, part of my worry is that when we we get the coop done ( hopefully late march, early april) they will be too used to how warm it is down there compared to our typical 40 degree spring nights. Is that irrational?

 

[rosemarythyme]

The temperature down there is usually about 65, part of my worry is that when we we get the coop done ( hopefully late march, early april) they will be too used to how warm it is down there compared to our typical 40 degree spring nights. Is that irrational?

Given how old they'll be it won't be difficult for them to adjust, especially if you give them some outside time before that.

Once it thaws (sufficiently) I would strongly consider building a pen (temporary is fine) so they can spend most of the daytime outside. Less mess for you and it'll give them some extra room to explore, dig around, etc.

 

[Hoilesa18]

Given how old they'll be it won't be difficult for them to adjust, especially if you give them some outside time before that.

Once it thaws (sufficiently) I would strongly consider building a pen (temporary is fine) so they can spend most of the daytime outside. Less mess for you and it'll give them some extra room to explore, dig around, etc.

Yeah I like the idea of a large pen for them to roam around while we get our act together. Would you think letting them wander in the snow if it doesn't thaw for a few weeks would be a good idea just to get them out and about? Thanks for easing my mind

 

[DonyaQuick]

Hello fellow NYer! Sure feels like winter has no end this year doesn't it?

You "can" keep even adult chickens indoors for extended periods if you really have to even though most people will not recommend it. "House chickens" are a thing for some people. I've had two in my house over much of the winter for complicated reasons. It's significantly easier when they're already friendly towards you though (so they run TO you instead of away from you and slip under something to be out of reach...). It's also significantly easier when you've kept chickens outdoors the regular way for some time so you know what to expect of what they need, etc. It is a LOT of work and they can easily turn a room into a dander and shavings dust disaster. Starting with older pullets indoors is definitely not what I would recommend as an easy start. You can do it, but if you have an option to delay receiving the older pullets I would recommend taking it. If not...you can make it work.

The temperature tolerance issue is actually the easier one to overcome, although yes they may well be metabolically used to the higher temps by that point. However, a transition from 65 to 40 is really not that hard for fully feathered birds. Move them out during the day and monitor them. Bring them in if they huddle or start shivering and don't stop. They will hardy-up with gradual exposure.

Also, use bolt-on water bowls attached to a kennel or other enclosure door if at all possible. Or use some kind of tip-proof waterer for dogs if you don't mind an open top bowl type thing. You do NOT want one of those standard gallon-size poultry waterers leaking or spilling on your floor if they tip it. I use gravity waterers outside all the time and it's great, but don't trust them in the house over quart size after some very annoying accidents.

Would you think letting them wander in the snow if it doesn't thaw for a few weeks would be a good idea just to get them out and about?

No - not unless they have another material like straw bedding or shavings to let them optionaly be away from the snow and only if they are ENCLOSED. If not fully enclosed, suddenly losing their feet into scary white stuff is a good way to lose a bird that freaks out and does a runner (or flies up into a tree, etc.).

 

[Hoilesa18]

Thank you both so much!

And yes, it really feels like the never ending winter this year!

I will 100% take the advice for a sturdy hard to tip waterer, thanks! Not sure I'm on board with being a house chicken owner quite yet, hoping to just keep them in the basement short term and get the coop up as quick as possible.

I'll hold off on letting them wander outside until the snow melts ( hopefully soon) if it stays longer than expected I'm sure I can put the kids to work shoveling out a nice big area and put an outdoor enclosure up with some straw.

You guys are great! Thanks again!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yeah I like the idea of a large pen for them to roam around while we get our act together. Would you think letting them wander in the snow if it doesn't thaw for a few weeks would be a good idea just to get them out and about? Thanks for easing my mind

Most chickens hate snow so if you can shovel a clearing and then put the pen down, they'd be happier with that.

Make sure any enclosure is covered as well, even with something as simple as a shade cloth or netting. It won't stop predators but it will stop fly aways.