Baby Chicks Eating Pine Shavings

[chickenlovercoy]

They will be fine, take my advice

 

[newmarch2014]

I have brooded only 2 groups of chicks but both on pine shavings. Both times some chicks would occasionally eat a small piece of the shavings here and there. I provide grit and keep an eye on crops and they all have done just fine in regards to the shavings.

 

[mshana924]

Here's my 'dumb' question.. What is a crop? What do you mean "I watch their crop"?

 

[debid]

Here's my 'dumb' question.. What is a crop? What do you mean "I watch their crop"?

The crop is the first stop in a chicken's digestive tract. Imagine a balloon that gets filled with food and then slowly empties. This allows them to eat a lot when food is available. The crop is on the chest and will bulge out when filled. It should appear full after eating and then gradually get smaller until they eat again.

In this picture, the dark chick has a full crop:

 

[Run Wild]

Hi, Erin. I have been raising chickens for five years now and have always used newspaper, lain it down on the bottom of the brooder. I would suggest changing it daily, or more. Papertowel seems dangerous to me also becase my chickens will eat it and not stop untl they are filled, and ripping it into strips seems like it would only increase their curiosity to try it.

 

[newmarch2014]

The crop is the first stop in a chicken's digestive tract. Imagine a balloon that gets filled with food and then slowly empties. This allows them to eat a lot when food is available. The crop is on the chest and will bulge out when filled. It should appear full after eating and then gradually get smaller until they eat again.

In this picture, the dark chick has a full crop:

Exactly, if it does not occasionally empty or feels too hard then there is reason to worry about impacted crop. I provide grit on their 3rd day home once I am sure everyone is eating well and have never had a prob with the pine shavings (I use the large kind) I don't care for newspaper due to the chemicals and it can get slick. I have used paper towels, they mostly leave them alone and are enough traction but environmentally speaking you just go through too many with chicks for my peace of mind. My chicks move the pine shavings around a lot meaning they pick them up with their beaks and drop the big ones but they do occasionally eat the smaller pieces....to no detriment. They have all made it to adulthood ...the ones that have died have died for completely unrelated causes.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

I'm new to chicken keeping, too. My first batch will come in around fourteen days, and I've bought two big bags of pine shaving flakes. I've read that as long as theres little dust and its kiln dried, they should be okay. But, the first few days, most places recommend putting some kind of thing over some spots of the pine, such as newspaper or paper towels, and sprinkling food on top so that they know the difference. I also think that those long feeders work better then the round circle ones because there are more feeding spots. Am I right?

 

[Johnsbaby54]

I use puppy pads over the shavings and paper towels

 

[lazy gardener]

One of my friend's chicks has an obstructed crop, she thinks from eating shavings. The chick is a bantam who might have had trouble reaching the food amongst the other (some full sized) birds, so I do think it's a good idea to be sure they all know where and what the food is, can get to it, and are in the habit of eating it, before putting them on shavings. Glad to hear you are putting the paper towels down. It's a simple precaution that could save you some grief.

Unless a necropsy or surgery was done, there would be no way to determine if this is/was an issue. But, you're right in that chicks need to know where the food is.

We just got a big bag of TSC pine shavings for our 1 week old to 2 week old chicks. Some of the chicks are really eating the pine shavings. Is this something we need to be worried about? Or is it okay?

Baby chicks will play with anything they can fit in their mouths. sometimes they will eat little bits of shavings.

They will learn not to eat them its fine as long as they know where their food is

Agreed.

Quote: Awesome Pic Debid!

Chicks are babies. They explore their worlds with their mouths. They also come out of the shell, programmed to dig and scratch for little bits of food. They also are created with a gizzard, and have no teeth. To that end, they are programmed to seek out grit to equip that gizzard to digest their food. If they are kept in a brooder with nothing but paper towel, newspaper, or shavings, they have no opportunity to scratch for their food or to equip their gizzards. You can help your chicks to meet both needs by providing a plug of sod from an untreated lawn. Make it about the size of a pie plate, and plop it in there, upside down. The chicks will love it: First grit, minerals, some tiny seeds and insects, perhaps a worm or two for scrimmage practice, beneficial bacteria and fungi, first greens, dust baths, and king of the hill games.

 

[cowgrl644]

Big no on the pine shavings. I just found our one day old hatchling on her back. She had a piece of pine shaving stuck in her throat. I was able to pull it out, and she was peeping after. She's very "drunk" and lethargic. Gave her a little water, which she drank. Now snuggled in my hands. Waiting to see if she comes back. Poor baby