Chicks eating pine shavings in brooder---ok?

[sawmane1]

funny i have the opossite problem mine wont eat.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
x2. I have always kept my chicks on pine shavings from the start, I've never done paper towels, I just watch them at first to make sure everybody knew where the feed was. Are you sure they are eating the shavings or are they picking up spilled crumbles? Mine would dig a ridiculous amount of crumbles out of the feeders and then had a fine time scratching thru the shavings looking for and eating it.

do you want to take a chance that they are eating lost feed or shavings that will kill them. Some birds do eat shavings don't grow because there is no room in the crop, adding grit doesn't help, and they die or don't grow well. It doesn't happen alot but it dose happen, plus if you have chick die, young do you check the crop to see if they have eaten shavings and that what killed them.

why take a chance

If a broody raises chicks, do you put the mama and the babies on paper towels? My broody's chicks have been in the coop with the other birds since day one and they are growing just fine. When you go to the feed store during chick days, do they have the chicks on paper towels? I've yet to lose a brooder raised chick to anything but shipping stress (one chick).

I'm sorry, I don't mean to argue with you but I think sometimes raising chicks is made out to be a whole lot more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[7L Farm]

I've had my biddies on pine shavings since day two. I watch them pecking the shaving but can't say I saw them eat them maybe some who knows. They are now three weeks old & look healthy to me.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

I made my chicks stay on paper towels for 5 days until I was sure they knew how to get to the food and wouldn't confuse it. When I started having to clean the bedding up because they were playing in it, not eating it, I assumed it would be ok. So at 6days old I removed the towels. They are 2 weeks today, no issues everyone is alive and well. I would put paper towels down for a few more days, make sure the feeder is always full and that they all know how to get to it.

 

[koakritters]

i literally just got home from the feed store after buying all my stuff for chicks due next week and they told me to keep them on newspaper/paper towels instead of pine shavings because they will eat them.

 

[chickenlickin8]

Quote:
I agree with Gritsar but it's a personal preference. I have always raised my chicks on small shavings and they have done fine. Mine do eat small bits of shavings but no amount that has ever kill one single baby. Again, it is all a personal preference. Enjoy the babies

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I think there is a very small chance that they *could* eat the bedding and then it lodging in *just* the right way to block the crop and then *possibly* dying, but it's a rare chance and there is probably tens upon thousands of chicks being raised on pine bedding and end up being just fine! I've always raised mine on bedding and never had a problem.

 

[LoreleisMama]

I have my new babes on the pine and they seem to pick it up and dig through it. They do really well with knowing where their food is. They are only 5 days old and when they see the food coming the all look up and peeep peeep peeeep!

 

[luvtheladies]

I have had my biddies on pine since day one. They are now 8 days old. I have been watching them. They know where there food and water is. I have noticed their natural instincts coming out as they scratch at it and they do pick at it but as soon as they pick it up they put it right back down. I'm sure one will eat a piece here and there but so far they all seem to be nice and healthy.

 

[dsqard]

I saw mine eating some of the shavings when they were little. It didn't kill them. I did worry a little about not having grit in there for them but they survived and never seemed sick. I only put them on paper towels at the beginning because I use a plastic tote as a brooder and I was worried about them slipping and getting spraddle leg. I did like putting a little food on the paper towels when they first went in to the brooder. They pecked at the darker food against the white towels pretty quickly.