Wood shavings or News Paper?

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birdwrangler057

birdwrangler057

Songster
Oct 19, 2016
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South Carolina
hey everybody!
I have eggs hatching in a few days, and am getting my brooder ready. I have always put down news paper under my chicks, but I see a lot of people using wood chips. Which is better? Thanks!
 
birdwrangler057 said:
hey everybody!
I have eggs hatching in a few days, and am getting my brooder ready. I have always put down news paper under my chicks, but I see a lot of people using wood chips. Which is better? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Mercy you will get a lot of different replies on this, Bad this, Bad that, good this, good that---LOL. I use "flake" pine shavings in my over flow brooders, Never had a Problem and I have hatched and raise a few 1000 doing this. No news paper needed in the over flow brooders. For sure never use any slick news paper if you decide to use it. I have even used sand and it worked good. You will probably hear about hemp bedding--its probably good too---I never had Any Problem using flake pine bedding. Good Luck with your hatch.
 
Last edited:
Do you mean shavings or wood chips? Wood chips are chipped up whole trees, including bark, wood, leaves... such as you would get from a tree service company. Shavings come in bales and are just shaved wood of one species without the bark and leaves. You could start with newspaper or paper towels for a day or so, till they are eating their feed well, and know where it is, then add the shavings. I put down a nice layer of shavings, and cover that with paper towel for the first 24 hours. Then it's super easy to just lift the paper towel. I also do not use a heat lamp. I use a heating pad cave, which is much safer and easier to regulate. You can click on Blooie's article about that at the bottom of my posts in my signature line.
 
PD-Riverman said:
Mercy you will get a lot of different replies on this, Bad this, Bad that, good this, good that---LOL. I use "flake" pine shavings in my over flow brooders, Never had a Problem and I have hatched and raise a few 1000 doing this. No news paper needed in the over flow brooders. For sure never use any slick news paper if you decide to use it. I have even used sand and it worked good. You will probably hear about hemp bedding--its probably good too---I never had Any Problem using flake pine bedding. Good Luck with your hatch.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I realized that right after I posted. Okay, I'll probably go with wood chips, I don't feel like spending a lot of money on hemp and such. Plus, I can use the extra with my older hens. :D
 
birdwrangler057 said:
hey everybody!
I have eggs hatching in a few days, and am getting my brooder ready. I have always put down news paper under my chicks, but I see a lot of people using wood chips. Which is better? Thanks!
Click to expand...
I put paper towel over newspaper in my baby brooder... so they don't eat the shavings. Paper towel has more to grip than newspaper. I try to get them onto shavings by 1 week old, after they are eating food well.
 
lazy gardener said:
Do you mean shavings or wood chips?  Wood chips are chipped up whole trees, including bark, wood, leaves... such as you would get from a tree service company.  Shavings come in bales and are just shaved wood of one species without the bark and leaves.  You could start with newspaper or paper towels for a day or so, till they are eating their feed well, and know where it is, then add the shavings.  I put down a nice layer of shavings, and cover that with paper towel for the first 24 hours.  Then it's super easy to just lift the paper towel.  I also do not use a heat lamp.  I use a heating pad cave, which is much safer and easier to regulate.  You can click on Blooie's article about that at the bottom of my posts in my signature line.
Click to expand...



Yeah, I meant shavings, I know what wood chips are. I just miswrote.
Sounds like everyone uses this method. That's what I'll do! Thanks!
 

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