Chicks eating pine shavings in brooder---ok?

[HollywoodHillsHens]

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.

Agreed, ours were fine with the shavings...

However, if you have the choice, strongly encourage you to use ASPEN shavings instead of pine to avoid (future) respiratory problems from any offgassing!

 

[speakup4kids]

I did the paper towel thing with two of my chicks, decided it just wasn't worth it, and started putting them straight onto shavings after that. Sure they will peck at the shavings at first and even look like they are eating them, but they really don't ingest a ton, if any. It doesn't take them very long to figure out that their food tastes a heck of a lot better than their bedding and they go for the food and water. Chicks peck at everything… shavings, poo, the walls of the brooder, each other. That doesn't mean they are eating all of those things. I just think of it as them using their beaks as hands, they are feeling their environment out and scoping out the area. My other thought process is that if they are stupid enough to keep eating shavings after discovering food, do I really want to add those genes into my breeding pool?

As far as the bedding goes, I've heard that about the aspen vs pine but never personally had a problem. Pine is softer and my chicks tend to like it better. I have both, it just depends on which feed store I end up at when I need shavings!

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

I always used to put my chicks on pine shavings from the beginning. Then I started forgetting to put them in the brooder. Duh!!! So they were just on Newspaper. However, I usually remember by the end of the first week to stick the shavings in there.

I never had any problems with the shavings whatsoever. However, do not use Cedar.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
sometimes when mine will not eat I peck with my index finger in the food dish until they start my wife kina laughs at me a little when I play momma chicken but it works

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'm with Gritty on this one. I've raised I don't know how many hundreds of chicks on pine shavings over the years. Straight on to them, no paper. Never lost a one to eating them.

It's a chick's nature to scratch and peck at pretty much everything it comes into contact with. It's how they learn.

 

[Shells]

I'm new to this raising chicks business and mine are eating newspaper. ( I watched in horror half an hour ago) I have my 4 week old chicks in a dog cage in the kitchen so am unable to put shavings into it as it is too shallow. I will relax now until they go outside.

 

[Bahachick]

Same thing happened to me, had them on shavings they started picking at it like mad. I got concerned and put them on newspaper instead. A week later when changing news papers 3 times a day got old I said what the heck and put them back on shavings.
They went at it again but nothing ever happened to any of them.

 

[gritsar]

Brooding chicks on newspaper should be avoided. It's too slick and it's said to contribute to spraddle leg.

 

[Bahachick]

Newspaper gets wet in no time and the slipperiness is gone.

 

[gryeyes]

Because I'm a worry-wart and I have been hatching my own chicks for a while now, the very first day they're put on that no-slip, non-adhesive shelf lining. I peck (with a finger) at the food in the dish to show them where it is, and I push their little beaks into the waterer so they take their first drinks. After the first day, I just toss a bunch of pine shavings into the brooder on top of the shelf lining. I actually use the "deep litter" method in the brooder and just keep adding more shavings as long as they're in it. If they manage to dump their water, I pull out the damp shavings, but other than that, I just keep adding shavings. If I see a wet poop, I toss a handful over it. Every couple of days I add some more shavings. By the time they're going outside, the layers of shavings, poop, and uneaten feed are a good six inches thick.

I dump all of that into the compost, shake out the shelf liner and throw it into the washing machine, clean the brooder well, and start all over again with the next batch o' chicks.

Chicks do eat small bits of shavings, but mostly they pick it off each other or play Keep Away with a nice, dark shaving, running all over the brooder trying to keep it from their brooder-mates. The winner of that game rarely eats the prize.