Brooder Bedding??? Newbie Question

[RubysMomFP]

I just got my first batch of baby chicks in the mail yesterday and I'm brooding them on newspaper. How long can they stay on newspaper? When can I switch them over to big, fluffy pine shavings? They are in kiddie pool brooders. Thanks!

 

[Keene's coop]

i used newspaper and papertowel. paper towel is so they do not slip around. then i put the shavings in on their 4th day. and they will peck at it, but don't worry. they'll be fine. i even put my chicks in their coop 3 days ago, with a heat lamp, and they are 15 days old today.

 

[cterbizan]

Some put them in pine shavings from day one and say its fine. My last batch of chicks I did and they were fine. Just make sure they dont eat it I found out that my 2 week old sebright was actually eating them.

 

[dolly85]

They are fine on newspaper as long as you can deal with the mess and smell. I always put paper towel on top for at least the first week to keep the babies from slipping and getting spraddle leg.

 

[lisebarb]

Is sand ok? My chicks arrive this afternoon and I put down playground sand with paper towel over it. Will that be ok?

 

[suzyq53511]

sand should be ok.

 

[lisebarb]

Quote:
Thanks SO much!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Never use news paper for baby chicks!!! Bad, Bad idea! Use either paper towels, or wood shavings!

 

[Karen_at_LittleBrook]

Everything I have read said NO news paper for chicks.... ever! I used paper towels over pine shavings for a few days. Its easy to remove the dirty paper towels every day or as needed. On the fourth day I removed the paper towels for good.

 

[cracked_egg]

Not to confuse the issue, but my feed man, and the hatchery said never put them on shavings for the first week, and suggested news paper.... I changed the paper twice a day to keep it from being slippery (never knew about the spradle leg thing, just makes sense they should have easy time standing)... Then switched to sawdust after first week... The second batch I put the news paper over the shavings, that worked pretty well, but I didn't change them and took them out at 4 days... Idk... Doesn't seem to be big deal no matter how u do it?