99 Chicks are 3 days old, and have brooder questions please

[rnmommy7]

I am concerned about their feet. My brooder is 5 levels and has a wire bottom. The wire forms about 1/2 inch square pattern. It seems pretty rough to me. When I put them in the brooder yesterday I put them all on burlap. I laid the burlap over the wire, but now the burlap is all poo pooed on. I don't want them walking around in poop right? WIll that hurt them? I don't have any more burlap, I could take it our and wash it or is it ok for them to be on wire.

 

[gg706]

I dont think I would put them on just wire. Do you have some newspaper laying around? If so I think I would lay newspaper down until you get the burlap cleaned up

 

[salt and pepper]

newspaper could cause splayed legs, and crooked toes. what about straw? it wouldn't fall through very easily.

 

[gg706]

splayed legs and crooked toes in a couple of hours?

 

[salt and pepper]

now that I'm not sure about. I'm not sure how long it takes to happen, maybe paper towels? they are more absorbent than newspaper too.

 

[rnmommy7]

I took out the burlap. it was filthy. i change their water out every few hours. they don't seem to mind the wire floor. I put a length of paper towel in each level to have something to sprinkle food on. They sure loved that gro-gel that came with the shipment, I wonder how to make it.

 

[salt and pepper]

good luck with your chicks!!

 

[gg706]

They will be ok I believe with the wire floor if you have no other choice. I would just get the burlap back in as soon as I could. You are doing great! Keep up the good work and taking good care of your chicks!

 

[kacklinkelly]

The feed store where I bought our chicks had them in a brooder with wire floors that sound similar to what
you are describing:>

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Believe me you don't want to leave them on the burlap without a product like shavings over it.

Once I used plywood in a grow-out coop that was very difficult to reach into. I didn't want to throw shavings in there because I was worried they would fall through. So I used small squares of plywood and no bedding, figuring I'd scrape the plywood off.
Within a couple of days the chicks had poo stuck to their feet to the point that they were having trouble walking and it had dried. I gave them a foot soak, they piled up in the wash basin and I lost a few to drowning.
Oh I was so sad and to this day will only bathe one chick at a time if needed.

So I recommend some bedding! You can use cardboard with pine shavings on top- I have a concern though that you don't create a fire hazard with your brooder if shavings fall through. If so, truly I'd just leave them on the wire.