Bedding for brooders ! :)

[grace21]

What bedding should I use in my brooder ?
I have access to hay, chaff both lucerne and shandy and possibly sand,
which one of these would be best?
TIA

 

[JetCat]

'Best' in my experience is actually brooding on wire with a litter pan below to catch the droppings, it's a much cleaner environment.

 

[Pork Pie]

Never done it, but i have read that wood shavings, covered with kitchen paper towels (so the chicks can see the food they inevitably spill everywhere) is another option.

CT

 

[2oldnow]

'Best' in my experience is actually brooding on wire with a litter pan below to catch the droppings, it's a much cleaner environment.

What size wire? One half inch? Thanks

 

[JetCat]

What size wire? One half inch? Thanks

i use 1/2x1/2 in my brooders, for quail i have to line it with paper towels the first week but chickens/ducks/turkey go directly on the wire with no problems.

 

[Jensownzoo]

I first put down a layer of puppy pads then covered them with paper towels. Just kept adding clean paper towels on top of the old ones. After a week (and one roll of paper towels), thet had pretty much figured out what was food and I was consistently seeing normal droppings so I switched to low dust shavings. One bale lasted until they were 8 weeks old. So, total of about $6 spent.

 

[mustangrooster]

An Old thread? I know..But I just wanted to add that I use Chaff in my brooder, whom currently my silky chicks are running around in. Chaff is alright right? Never tried it before and I am hoping to keep my silkys alive.

-Mustang

 

[chickengeorgeto]

What bedding should I use in my brooder ?
I have access to hay, chaff both lucerne and shandy and possibly sand,
which one of these would be best?
TIA

'Best' in my experience is actually brooding on wire with a litter pan below to catch the droppings, it's a much cleaner environment....

I'll have to agree with JetCat, besides baby chicks started on 1/4 inch hardware cloth are protected from Coccidosos and most other things that go bump in the night.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Update: I now love using the equine pine pellet bedding for my brooders over shavings. It turns to sawdust as it absorbs the droppings and all I have to do is give it a stir every once in a while--the sawdust sinks to the bottom and whole pellets rise to the top. Even works great with waterfowl and their messy little selves!