2 week old chicks

[ktown55]

Hello Everyone.......I Have some chicks that will be two weeks old this Saturday...So far,evrythings good for it being my first time at this.... But what i need to know is, How soon can i just use newspaper only in there bator?? I have them in a big rabbit cage,with a screen bottem...I've been putting down a big bath towel, and then newspaper, then paper towels over all that.....I'd like to give up the paper towels....Been going through alot of them...I just don't want to hurt the chicks with just news paper down....I've read and heard that it wasn't good for the chicks legs to just put them on it, till they get older..so how old is older? Thanks To Everyone Thats Helped Me through all this......Merry CHRISTmas to all...........Thanks.

 

[gryeyes]

I put mine on pine shavings before they were a week old. It's quite fun to see the chicks scratch in it and make "pine shaving bath" depressions, etc. even at an early age. You are to be commended for keeping them on towels that long! Skip the newspaper and go straight to pine shavings. ;-)

 

[ranchhand]

Since your brooder cage has a screen bottom you can put down newspaper and then wood shavings on top. It's keep the shavings from falling through and making a mess.
Use pine or wood shavings, but not cedar- the aromatics given off by cedar are too strong for chicks.

Congratulations on you first venture into chicken tending and Merry Christmas!