well, my pullets have found something new to eat. They now eat the cedar shavings in the coop, nesting boxes, and even get in the bag when I need to spread more. Is this bad for them and how can I make them quit?
Pullets eating cedar shavings
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- Jun 2, 2011
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I wonder the same thing,
My 11 week olds are in their pen about 2 weeks, and I started them in their coop with shavings. They were on a dirt floor in the brooder pen. Two of them won't stop eating shavings. Silly girls! It has slowed down the last few days.
WOuld love to know if this could harm them.
MB
My 11 week olds are in their pen about 2 weeks, and I started them in their coop with shavings. They were on a dirt floor in the brooder pen. Two of them won't stop eating shavings. Silly girls! It has slowed down the last few days.
WOuld love to know if this could harm them.
MB
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- #3
I know, I went out to check on them at about three. What do I find, 2 of the 6 nesting boxes empty! It just started this week too, I don't know why, it's not like they don't have enough food.
I don't think its too dangerous for a health bird. The shaving should pass through them.
I think all chickens go through this 'eat everything' stage as they grow up. The will grow out of it soon.
Make sure you have plenty of food available to them all the time (so they are not eating the shavings out of hunger). Also giving them treats and vegetables, things to play with, with reduce them eating the shavings.
My chicks went through eating the paper towels in the brooder. The loved them more than their chick food! When I swapped to shavings they started eating them after a few days. Finally I put them on a natural dirt floor - which was the best. they pecked about in it and ate small stones, but not the dirt. Also I got no bad smells from the dirt and had to change it much less often than the shavings.
I think all chickens go through this 'eat everything' stage as they grow up. The will grow out of it soon.
Make sure you have plenty of food available to them all the time (so they are not eating the shavings out of hunger). Also giving them treats and vegetables, things to play with, with reduce them eating the shavings.
My chicks went through eating the paper towels in the brooder. The loved them more than their chick food! When I swapped to shavings they started eating them after a few days. Finally I put them on a natural dirt floor - which was the best. they pecked about in it and ate small stones, but not the dirt. Also I got no bad smells from the dirt and had to change it much less often than the shavings.
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- #5
They have food all day long, get treets 3 or more times a day, they even are let out to free range while I'm home. Its good that it won't harm them, they seam to eat everything they come across. A few weeks ago, they were eating bark and rocks. They eat feathers, straw, rappers, anything! Most of the time I can catch them before they eat it, I just don't want anything to happen to them.
- Jun 2, 2011
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my dream is to start composting my horse manure, and then in turn use it for bedding. With all I spend on horse hay and grain, I want that manure to work for me somehow! I have a dirt floor in my barns feed room, and their brooder pen was in there, and you are right, it's a wonderful surface.
MB
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