chickens in the basement

Due to the situation, it was decided to buy 40 chickens of 2 weeks of age.  The chicks will be housed in the basement, which is also a bomb shelter.  Considering the lack of heating (in winter +7 Celsius, the presence of a clay floor and the positive experience of using bacteria in a septic tank for wastewater treatment, it was customary to make a brooder pen using warm bedding. Warm bedding and a 200-watt infrared lamp with emergency  connection to a 70 ampere battery and a 2.5 kW infrared lamp connected to the network. A place has been selected near the inner wall and a pen and warm bedding have been prepared (20 cm of straw and 20 cm of sawdust in which anaerobic bacteria are introduced) 2 wooden pallets are installed below the bedding to  There was an air gap. On Sunday I will bring the chickens and move them in.

That sounds like a decent plan, what breed of chicks are you getting your hands on?  

Timothy Norton wrote:That sounds like a decent plan, what breed of chicks are you getting your hands on?  

I will inform you on Sunday, there are new situations every day).

the pen is prepared, the electrics are connected

Do you have good ventilation in the basement? I could imagine the ammonia from their droppings becoming oppressive very quickly.

Juniper Zen wrote:Do you have good ventilation in the basement? I could imagine the ammonia from their droppings becoming oppressive very quickly.

Excellent question, the issue of odor and droppings will be solved with the help of warm bedding and anaerobic bacteria.  The area of the room in which the chickens are located is 50 square meters, the ceiling height is 2.10 meters, there is a window and ventilation holes.  The chickens will live in the basement during the winter; in the summer they will move to an outdoor coop.  I settled the cling while I heat it with lamps so that the work of bacteria in the litter starts, breed: Brestgall
Adler
Amrox
Livenskaya

Hi Bodgan,
Congrats on your new chickens.

I would just caution you to make certain the heat lamp is VERY well attached and won't fall down. I have heard too many stories of heat lamps falling into chicken brooders and causing fires. Being in a basement could be more dangerous than a shed if a fire started.

Matt McSpadden wrote:Hi Bodgan,
Congrats on your new chickens.

I would just caution you to make certain the heat lamp is VERY well attached and won't fall down. I have heard too many stories of heat lamps falling into chicken brooders and causing fires. Being in a basement could be more dangerous than a shed if a fire started.

Thank you, but safety is very important, the lamp is fixed and I raised it even higher, put stones under it that heat up.  The bacteria in the litter are starting to work and I have already removed the large lamp.  The temperature inside the litter away from heating is +21.  the clings are warm; they do not huddle together and run around the entire area of the paddock

Great looking chicks and a lovely brooder set-up.
They seem happy and healthy. You have everything covered and a plan for the future, so you're doing very well!

It will take a week or two for the anaerobic bacteria to really start working, but it shouldn't be too bad while you wait. I brood my chicks in the kitchen and, aside from the dust they kick up and needing to be careful of what I do where (so as to reduce possibilities of decontamination), there has never been a problem.

Happy chicks, happy life!

Kristine Keeney wrote:Great looking chicks and a lovely brooder set-up.
They seem happy and healthy. You have everything covered and a plan for the future, so you're doing very well!

It will take a week or two for the anaerobic bacteria to really start working, but it shouldn't be too bad while you wait. I brood my chicks in the kitchen and, aside from the dust they kick up and needing to be careful of what I do where (so as to reduce possibilities of decontamination), there has never been a problem.


Happy chicks, happy life!

Thank you for your comment, I have no plans for the future) at present I live only in the present and if I can create comfortable conditions for someone, I get a good mood from it.  Yes, I am confident in the work of bacteria and the most important thing here is not to rush, the electricity that I spend at the beginning will be compensated by the work of bacteria in the future, especially since I should have a plan in case of a power outage.  Fortunately, the weather in February is unusually warm, and it’s always + in the basement.  The chickens feel great, yesterday I started ventilating the room, I think that fresh air will not hurt them.  I made an additional feeder for now, I feed it with compound feed, yesterday I gave it fresh grass for bedding.  If anyone knows, please tell me which laying hens give colored eggs, I only know the Legbar breed.  I want to buy an incubator.