Bedding question

Karen12

In the Brooder
7 Years
Mar 30, 2012
57
1
43
Carol Stream/Winfield, Illinois
I have a 1 week old chick that appears to have a sensitivity to the pine bedding I have in my brooder. The bunch of 6 chicks are a little sneezy, but are otherwise acting and eating fine! One Has started a little head flick but is otherwise fine. All I have is pelleted corn cob right now and it is in their brooder. Is this ok or do I need to find another option? My adult hen is on them while she is currently living in my house and she is fine. What other options are there? And is there a problem with the one chick? I raised chicks on pine last year without a problem. Or am I overreacting?
 
Sneezing at this young age would worry me. You might want to switch them to fine pine shavings with paper towel over it for a few weeks. You might also try putting chick vitamins in their water. The little one with the twitch might benefit the most. Save-A-Chick vitamins are available at Tractor Supply or other farm type stores. Good Luck.
 
Thank you! They have had the save-a-chick in there for 2 days already. I do have poly vi sol, should I give that one a drop? They were on pine shavings before, and they are already trying to dust themselves. I figured it was irritating their lungs. We took them out of the brooder for about 25 min (still under the light though) and the frequency of the little sneezes when down considerably. I guess I'm not sure if its a flick or trying to rub/itch the feathers.
 
Ok, either ow I'm hyper sensitive or I actually have a cold going through after a week. One has a little "click" and sneezes morse often than the others. The one with the flick is not doing it as much after the bedding change. What do i do?! I have tylan 10 powder...I don't know If I can use it in them. They are on non medicated feed...do I change that?
 
I know very little about chicks, being a first time "mom" but when I researched I ended up choosing sand as my bedding choice. It has NO dust or scent to it, which wood shavings do. It's also ridiculously easy to clean! I take a kitty litter scoop and run it through the bedding 3-4x a day and within literally 5min (or less) I have a spotless brooder and don't have to touch any dirty litter with my hands. My chicks were sneezing the first day I brought them home, they were being kept on pine shavings as well, at the store. After a day off of shavings they were fine. I could be wrong but I do feel the shavings were the reason they were sneezing.

Hopefully your babies will be ok!
 
I've never used sand for fear of chicks gorging themselves on sand and impacting the crop. I'd be interested in an alternative to shavings but don't really see much. In regard to those sneezing chicks. Look closely at the shavings and see if there's any green tint to them. That could be mold causing a problem. Also, I occasionally add a few drops of VetRX in trough area of the waterer with adults if there's some sneezing going on in the flock. It get's in their mouths and sinuses when they drink. I don't see why it wouldn't be beneficial to chicks provided you don't need antibiotics to control a contagious upper respiratory problem.
 

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