Arizona Chickens

[Demosthine]

I have chicks hatching out in my class this week. I have a 55 gallon aquarium that I am going to use as a brooder (for the first two weeks) with a heat lamp. As I was setting up-not sure what to use on the bottom??? What do you all use? I normally let a broody hatch and raise chicks so this is a first for me.

My son wants to put straw but I don't think that will be good. I think I see pine shavings in some, am I right? What is the best to use?

thanks for any advice you can give

My favorite thing to use is TerrAmigo and it's probably available from your local feed shop. I bought mine at The Stock Shop, but I know Pratt's had it as well. It's pine shavings pressed in to pellet form. In the long run, supposedly for horse stalls, it will save you 40% to 60% compared to regular pine shavings. It's cheaper per bag, too. I can't praise it enough and won't do anything else. I think it was about $8 for a 50-pound bag.

I always use paper towels for the first three weeks and continue layering on top of one another.

I hadn't thought about paper towels, but I was warned that newspaper is a bad idea because the inks can be toxic. I hear that recommendation a lot, though, so I'm not sure how much credence there is to it.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
I second the paper towels for the first week, then pine shavings(not cedar). I've never tried TerrAmigo, though. Some people say to put a thin layer of shavings under the papertowels to absorb moisture but I've never done that.
Put their water and food up on a brick or block of wood after you switch to shavings and it'll save you A LOT of time. You won't have to clean them out as often.
Newspaper is hard for the chicks to walk on and tends to create splay leg.

 

[notinoz2007]

still not done, but CLOSE!!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I've been working on my coop. It is so slow. I feel I am doing everything back words. My coop is a strange size because I started with scape, I have to works in everything to have as little wast as Possable. I do not know how I have managed to maintain the integrity of my original design, it has been tweaked a dozen times.

I have Diatomaceous Earth in between the floor and the ceiling of the basement. It is not if but when I get bugs. It is not ment as anything more then to help keep infestations manageable. I will still have to do all the normal preventative care, starting with examining my girls on a regular schedule.

I have my nesting box pretty much in. The access door needs work yet and I do not have hinges. The access door frame is finished. I also filled the cavity under the nesting boxes with Diatomaceous Earth. There are plenty of small crevices for bugs to hide and die

I hope this will be enough floor space, they will have roosts and they have the top of the nesting box

I am stuck with this section. I am working alone. I need to put in my header. I am using 12'x2"x4"s and I am going to make a 14' header. It is getting it up there that worries me. Tomorrow I can not do anything, so Weds I am going to set my corner post, it is stained and varnished by tonight it will be dry.

 

[kacklinkelly]

My favorite thing to use is TerrAmigo and it's probably available from your local feed shop. I bought mine at The Stock Shop, but I know Pratt's had it as well. It's pine shavings pressed in to pellet form. In the long run, supposedly for horse stalls, it will save you 40% to 60% compared to regular pine shavings. It's cheaper per bag, too. I can't praise it enough and won't do anything else. I think it was about $8 for a 50-pound bag.

Demo - I loved the TerrAmigo also when I used it for our chicks. It wasn't until I got to the end of the bag and switched to pine shavings that the sales person told me I was supposed to slightly moisten the TerrAmigo to make it decompress and basically go farther. Because I was new to chicks and didn't have a clue about anything, I went through the initial bag so fast from changing the brooder out on a continual basis. just couldn't have those little babies running around in anything dirty. (unlike my grandson who plays on the playground with who knows what in that sand

) Do you moisten the TerrAmigo when you use it?

still not done, but CLOSE!!

Love this. I have seen the design pre made someplace but didn't want to pay the price. Yours looks AMAZING. Can't wait to see the finished product. How many chickens is it made for?

 

[MaddBaggins]

I have chicks hatching out in my class this week. I have a 55 gallon aquarium that I am going to use as a brooder (for the first two weeks) with a heat lamp. As I was setting up-not sure what to use on the bottom??? What do you all use? I normally let a broody hatch and raise chicks so this is a first for me.

My son wants to put straw but I don't think that will be good. I think I see pine shavings in some, am I right? What is the best to use?

thanks for any advice you can give

I used pine shavings in the brooder and still do in the coop.

I almost forgot, I used paper towels on top of the shavings for the first week.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Gave the girls some cold watermelon this afternoon, after I ate some, of course. Yum!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

It's done!!!! It's DONE!!!! I'm so happy...

I love it it is so nice and attractive. Congratulations. h

 

[Demosthine]

Demo - I loved the TerrAmigo also when I used it for our chicks.  It wasn't until I got to the end of the bag and switched to pine shavings that the sales person told me I was supposed to slightly moisten the TerrAmigo to make it decompress and basically go farther.  Because I was new to chicks and didn't have a clue about anything, I went through the initial bag so fast from changing the brooder out on a continual basis.  just couldn't have those little babies running around in anything dirty.  (unlike my grandson who plays on the playground with who knows what in that sand  )  Do you moisten the TerrAmigo when you use it?

I haven't been told to moisten it, either, but it seems counterintuitive. You don't want them on moist bedding. I dumped it straight out of the bag and fluff it up with my hands. It seems to give me a great bedding.

I am trying to use the deep litter method in everything, so I don't clean the coop or brooder out, I just make sure the bedding is well mixed and add more bedding if necessary. Even if I was cleaning weekly, I don't think I'd go through as much as it sounds like you do. I'm on my third batch of chicks with my original bag and I still have about ten pounds left. On the rare occasion I did clean, I used a Kitty litter scoop to get the large chunks and left the rest.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Great job on the coop Chicks of Hazzard! I see our mutt isn't the only poop eater.