Bedding...what do you use?

[Gindee77]

I have been using shavings and after all the bad things I've read about them, and after losing one chick last night and having two others gasping (but okay now) like they were choking on something, I decided to use something else as bedding. I have shredded a bunch of newspapers and have cut circles of newspaper to fit flat in my brooder. I'll put a thick pad of the circles in the brooder, then put the finely shredded stuff on top. Will that work? I know they aren't supposed to be right on newspaper but is the shredded stuff okay if I pack it down a bit?

Also, they had crumbled corn cobs at the feedstore and altho I didn't get any today, I could get that if it would work. I think it looks almost too much like their chick feed tho!

Any opinions on what you use...how long you use it for chicks...and anything else about bedding for chicks you know or want to share.

TIA!

 

[palabeco]

I used shredded newspaper, you don't have to mash it down, the chicks will do that in minutes. I just add more every day and change it every 3 days. I started with pine shavings and paper towels on top for about a week then used the bedding, but i didn't like it, it was too dusty, so i switched to newspaper when the chicks were about 3 weeks old. Now they are in a giant box in the sunroom with straw bedding. Oh, and make sure the strips of paper are wide enough that they don't try to eat them and get them stuck in their throat.

 

[Dawn419]

We use pine shavings only and have never had a problem with them. It's cedar shavings that you don't want to use!

We use paper towels for the chicks' first 5 - 7 days, pine shavings from then on. I put down several layers of paper towels over the shavings.

Hope this helps!

Dawn

 

[kevin2010]

i used news paper shavings also.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
Dawn gave a complete answer, and, from reading, the most common method used by members here.

If your chicks are fed on a Chick Starter/Grower they do not need any supplementary feeding at all.

They may, however, enjoy other foods .... they will eat any bugs they find, and can benefit from *green* material hung up for them to peck at.

Give them some hard grit if they eat anything other than Starter/Grower

 

[sundance]

I use hay, always have, they love it and since its not that hard to clean out the coop (if it's dry) makes good mulch for my garden. I put my chicks out side in the coop early with a light then just opened the door into the run, wasn't long before they had all the grass in the run eat so now i keep hay in the coop and give them a slice at least once aweek in the run

 

[twigg]

Quote:
You might want to reconsider the hay, and use straw as an option. You will get all the benefits, and none of the disadvantages.

Hay is problematic if it gets any damp at all. It carries mould spores, and can lead to respiratory issues. It also costs around 3x the price of hay.

Wheat straw, btw, is better than barley straw.

just a thought.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I use white shavings in the brooder as recommended by my feed store and have not had a single problem other than the girls are constantly getting it in their water and food! If I switch to something else it will be for this reason alone.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

1st week is paper towels that don't have any kind of print (ink) on them. After 1st week, pine shavings.

 

[jnjross]

check the bag on the shaving mine says low dust on the bag alfapet. straw could be eatten