bedding

[noodleroo]

Quote:
I'd skip the garbage bag, put pine shavings on the bottom and white paper towels on top for a few days. Then just switch to only the pine shavings; they are easy to fluff up and keep clean. The paper towels for the first few days are just to keep the chicks from confusing their food with the shavings. The paper towels make it easy to see and eat...

 

[Tigerjane]

Quote:
I'd skip the garbage bag, put pine shavings on the bottom and white paper towels on top for a few days. Then just switch to only the pine shavings; they are easy to fluff up and keep clean. The paper towels for the first few days are just to keep the chicks from confusing their food with the shavings. The paper towels make it easy to see and eat...

So I shouldn't worry about their waste seeping through the shavings to the cardboard? Can you tell I don't really know what chicken poo is like, lol? I'm imagining it like your average street bird poo, and that can get runny.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I raised my first batch in a cardboard box. I lined it with newspaper and put down plenty of pine shavings. The newspaper just made it easier to clean, just roll it all up and toss it.

 

[Tigerjane]

Quote:
Smart thinkin'! That's what I'll do, too

Love how every possible question I have always gets answered on this forum

 

[pennie1]

cafarmgirl wrote:
I raised my first batch in a cardboard box. I lined it with newspaper and put down plenty of pine shavings. The newspaper just made it easier to clean, just roll it all up and toss it.

I have raised 13 batches of chicks and do it that way. Cleaning is a snap!!!!

 

[cbbantams]

I have bought all purpose sand for years and I use it in all of my brooders.It works great and is much drier and cleaner than shavings.A 70 pound bag is only around $3.00.

 

[can't get enough chicken]

I would not use a cardboard box unless you have something under it like a tray or something. I used newspaper for my chicks and they ended up just fine.

 

[luckylefty]

When I first got my chicks, I kept them in a cardboard box with paper towels and it was fine. The only problem I would have is if they kicked water onto the paper towels because then they would get wet enough to wet the cardboard beneath. To solve this, I put marbles in their water so that they couldn't get in and splash around. The man at my feed store also said putting marbles in the water prevents them from standing in it and getting their feet wet - which causes them to catch a cold. I also once saw one of my chicks trying to fall asleep near the water dispenser and his head was nodding into the water, but with the marbles he couldn't drown even if he had actually rested his head there.

I moved them into a plastic rubbermaid container once they started getting a little bigger just because it was easier to keep clean (and dry out) than the cardboard box. If you can get one of those, it worked great. It was easy to wash out and keep sanitized too which I felt was better for the chicks.

 

[Tigerjane]

Right now I have a bath towel in there, with two layers of cloth-like paper towels over it. I havent noticed any mess from the water, though they're certainly getting their food all over! I have pine shavings, and may try switching to that when they're bigger, but for now they really seem to like snuggling into the lumps and bumps from the towel (I picked them up from Ideal yesterday afternoon).