brodder box setup.... HELP

[tashtash]

Ok so my hubby built me a gorgeous box and now i wanna know can i put cat litter on the bottom. or shredded news paper. or what does everyone else use

 

[nasus]

Good Morning,
I use pine shavings. I've read on BYC to put paper towels over the pine shavings so the babies do not eat the shavings but I've never had that issue, thankfully. However I've only brooded (is that even a word?) two times. I'm definitely not an expert.

 

[PaleoDan]

I have been using Aspen shavings, they have a great smell and it's what I use for my snakes. It is a bit pricier than pine but pine gives off a lot of gases so I avoid it.

 

[NJchixs]

For the first few days I used puppy wee wee pads. It gave them footing and was easy to just fold up and lay new ones down every day. After about a week I went to pine bedding flake from tractor supply. Walmart also sells a big bag of pine shavings that's not too bad if you don't have a tractor supply. Good luck with the little ones.

 

[NJchixs]

Also if you start them out on a nipple waterer, instead of the traditional water bowl, it cuts down on the mess a lot.

 

[Pathfinders]

I wouldn't use kitty litter, I'd be worried chicks would eat it. I just use shavings from the feed store (pine) and for the first week or so cover them with paper towel (rough side up) to give the chicks good footing. You want them to have something with texture so it's not slippery, newspaper is too slippery, they might wind up with spraddle leg.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I wouldn't use kitty litter, I'd be worried chicks would eat it. I just use shavings from the feed store (pine) and for the first week or so cover them with paper towel (rough side up) to give the chicks good footing. You want them to have something with texture so it's not slippery, newspaper is too slippery, they might wind up with spraddle leg.

x2 however I have switched to straw and the first week I put a layer of papertowels over top of them so they have good footing until they find their feet! LOL Good Luck!

 

[tashtash]

Thanks seams like pine shavings is the way to go. but sally i do like the straw. how often do you change it and do they need paper towel on top? Can it just be straw only

 

[Pathfinders]

I personally am not at all fond of straw because it tends towards mold, which is never a good thing, especially for chicks. I really prefer shavings. But if you must use straw, please do put paper towel over it, and keep it very dry so it won't get moldy.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Thanks seams like pine shavings is the way to go. but sally i do like the straw. how often do you change it and do they need paper towel on top? Can it just be straw only

I change it when its poo'd up it will be more x's after several days. I dont have a problem with straw, I keep the waterers up on a pc of wood and make sure they arent tillted and have yet to have an issue with mold. I can easily see of you let it get wet how this could happen, but like I said I put my feed and waterers on a pc of wood to avoid straw getting into them. Pine shavings can make a chick sick as well with all that dust.... I PREFER no dust since they are in my lower level when they are younger.