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can i use newspaper for the floor of my brooder ?

post #1 of 12
Thread Starter 

hey, can i use newspaper for the floor of my brooder for my chicks and ducklings and put a tea towel under the light so thay have something nice to sleep on ???

thanks

~Daniel~

WooooHoooo First Time Inubating In A Homemade Plastic Incubator And Had A 90% Hatch Rate 2 Chicks And 5 Ducks

My BYC Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488
My Incubator//Hatcher Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488-my-incubatorhatcher
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WooooHoooo First Time Inubating In A Homemade Plastic Incubator And Had A 90% Hatch Rate 2 Chicks And 5 Ducks

My BYC Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488
My Incubator//Hatcher Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488-my-incubatorhatcher
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post #2 of 12

Do not use newspaper as it is slippery and can/will contribute to spraddle leg - especially in the ducklings!

The best - in MY opinion - brooder litter is pine shavings.  Nice and deep amount.  For the first day or two, you MIGHT put paper towels over it.  I never did, but none of my chicks were less than 4 days old.  Some folks used the paper towels so the chicks could tell where the feed was, and not confuse the shavings with feed. 

With a nice deep layer of pine shavings, you won't need a towel under the light.   They'll be comfy enough on the pine shavings.   Do NOT use cedar shavings.

-- Linda (AKA: gryeyes)
I refuse to fight a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

Buncha Outdoor PET chickens, ducks, two Toulouse ganders, and four turkeys. Plus 2 wiener dogs, some bunnies and a rescue cat which owns me. Oh. And a house silkie....

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-- Linda (AKA: gryeyes)
I refuse to fight a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

Buncha Outdoor PET chickens, ducks, two Toulouse ganders, and four turkeys. Plus 2 wiener dogs, some bunnies and a rescue cat which owns me. Oh. And a house silkie....

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post #3 of 12

Ditto. Use pine shavings. They are wonderful. They are "good" for the chickies. They smell good and they are easy to clean up. There is no benefit to use newspaper compared to pine shavings.

Although, I did put newspaper under my pine shavings, but only because my brooder was a cardboard box and I didn't want the poo to soak into the cardboard itself.

Wisconsin Mom of one daughter and 6 bantam girls. And wife of a nature lovin' hubsband
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Wisconsin Mom of one daughter and 6 bantam girls. And wife of a nature lovin' hubsband
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post #4 of 12
Thread Starter 

i have wood shavings but i dont know what kind thay are hmm

WooooHoooo First Time Inubating In A Homemade Plastic Incubator And Had A 90% Hatch Rate 2 Chicks And 5 Ducks

My BYC Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488
My Incubator//Hatcher Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488-my-incubatorhatcher
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WooooHoooo First Time Inubating In A Homemade Plastic Incubator And Had A 90% Hatch Rate 2 Chicks And 5 Ducks

My BYC Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488
My Incubator//Hatcher Page http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=34488-my-incubatorhatcher
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post #5 of 12

I have always used newspaper for my brooder and never had a problem- didn't even know it could be a problem until I read it on here....

Empty Nester mother of a son and daughter, married for almost 25 years, I have 2 chihuahuas, 30 chickens including Ameraucanas, Plymouth Barred Rocks, Cuckoo Marans, Partridge Plymouth Rocks, Welsummers, Columbian Wyandottes,a bunny and several cats. Life is great!

http://www.lazyjoranch.com
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Empty Nester mother of a son and daughter, married for almost 25 years, I have 2 chihuahuas, 30 chickens including Ameraucanas, Plymouth Barred Rocks, Cuckoo Marans, Partridge Plymouth Rocks, Welsummers, Columbian Wyandottes,a bunny and several cats. Life is great!

http://www.lazyjoranch.com
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post #6 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel_2kaii9 

i have wood shavings but i dont know what kind thay are hmm


New pine savings should be a bright off yellow, just like pine lumber. Cedar will be darker and have a reddish tone. If you have a decent nose (not me) you should be able to smell the difference.

It's pretty simple...having chickens is work, but lots of fun.

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It's pretty simple...having chickens is work, but lots of fun.

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post #7 of 12

Same here I also us news paper.. No problems so far.  big_smile

Life is good.Hatching and raising Bobwhite and Coturnix Quail .
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Life is good.Hatching and raising Bobwhite and Coturnix Quail .
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post #8 of 12

I used shredded newspapers covered with paper towels under my ducklings(did not brood them with chicks-my ducklings kept EVERYTHING wet all the time) and pine shavings for my chicks brooder.

"Be like a duck.  Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath. " ~Michael Caine
Pyncheon Bantams, Norwegian Jaerhon, Butterscotch, White, Gray, Pencil, Self-Black, Blue Fawn Pied and Snowy Call Ducks  NPIP Certified and Member NCBA and ABA
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"Be like a duck.  Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath. " ~Michael Caine
Pyncheon Bantams, Norwegian Jaerhon, Butterscotch, White, Gray, Pencil, Self-Black, Blue Fawn Pied and Snowy Call Ducks  NPIP Certified and Member NCBA and ABA
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post #9 of 12

Newspaper can be used for a brooder, but not recommended for newly hatched babies due to the risk of them developing spraddle leg (which is treatable, btw).

post #10 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3chimama 

I have always used newspaper for my brooder and never had a problem- didn't even know it could be a problem until I read it on here....


I've floor brooded chicks at least a dozen of the last 25 year and used newspapers every time--even for duckling and goslings--never a problem except they shred it up and it ends up in their waterer and feeders.   Right now I have 32  6-week old chicks on newspapers and they're doing well.

I have a problem using shavings with really young chicks since I feel they eat the shavings and not starter feed.  If it doesn't kill them at least, since they still haven't ingested grit, it may slow down their assimilation of food and growth.  I never put shavings down until the 8th week or so.

7.5 acres in the western Catskill foothills of garden, blueberries, 4 cats plus 20 Black Stars, 12 RIR, 7 EE's, 4 Brown leghorns, 4 BR, a SS and 6 guinea keats,  including one very happy EE rooster. In 33 yrs of keepin' chickens I shoulda learned somethin', but unfortunately I'm addicted to the MCMurray catalog. 

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well."
-- David McCullough

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7.5 acres in the western Catskill foothills of garden, blueberries, 4 cats plus 20 Black Stars, 12 RIR, 7 EE's, 4 Brown leghorns, 4 BR, a SS and 6 guinea keats,  including one very happy EE rooster. In 33 yrs of keepin' chickens I shoulda learned somethin', but unfortunately I'm addicted to the MCMurray catalog. 

"To write is to think, and to write well is to think well."
-- David McCullough

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