Brooder bedding - why didn't I think of this before?

[HEChicken]

I'm currently brooding chicks for the 6th time in two years and I've tried a variety of methods. With this batch of chicks, I did the usual "paper towel over wood chips" method that is so popular. After the first few days I found myself reluctant to remove the paper towels due to the memory of the feeders and waterers full of wood chips all the time (even when they are on elevated blocks). DS pointed out that as green as I try to be, here I was using paper towels and a light bulb went off. I went to the thrift store and got some old towels for pennies on the dollar and replaced the paper towel with cloth. When it needs to be cleaned, I take out a towel, put a new towel in the brooder, take the soiled one outside and shake to get the poop off, then put it in a pile in the laundry room. When I have enough poopy towels to do a small load in the washer, I can do them all together, rather than mix them with the family laundry. I am enjoying this SO much more than using wood chips. The food and water stay mostly clean and cleaning the brooder itself is easier too. I haven't found the downside yet.

 

[debid]

You know, I wondered about this. I have a pile of cloth prefold diapers that are too ratty to resell and we're done having babies. I can't think of any reason not to use them in the brooder.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Well I wont go as far as putting bedding towels in my washing machine I was thinking... I have a package of those disposable pads they use on beds at the hospitals. Would that be ok? I'd rather use them up before I go to paper towels. And at what point would you change from pads to pine shavings in the brooder. I've got about 30 of those pads.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I get free doggy pads and free old towels from Craigslist and FreeCycle and I use it for brooder bedding and treating sick birds that have to come in the house and live in the laundry room. As far as washing the old towels. I put them in a LARGE rubber maid storage container with hot water and dawn soap and bleach and let it soak. It gets all of the poop off. When all of the poop is off, I put the towels in the washing machine. It takes a few extra minutes but it's worth it. I don't waste money on paper towels.

 

[HEChicken]

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My plan now is to never switch to shavings. They'll go from towels in the brooder to outside.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

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That'll work. That's what I'll switch to if the hospital pads run out.

 

[mjm417]

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We were using prefolds and old kitchen towels for our lone chick that hatched and plan to do the same with the chicks we ordered! Sooo easy and I can say I cloth diaper ALL my kids

 

[FMAFarms]

I'd be afraid of the chicks pecking at the cloth, causing it to fray. A recent issue of one of the homesteading magazines (I think it was the last issue of Backyard Poultry for 2010) showed a photo of a dead guinea keet who'd managed to swallow a thread of some sort. The thread got caught passing through its digestive tract, and the poor thing died trying to pass it. Ratty towels and old diaper cloths (we've got plenty of those in our home, for dusting and quick mess cleaning) often are frayed and thready. With little birds scratching and pecking and being generally inquisitive -- possibly even mistaking a thread for a worm -- there's be too much risk to use fabric, at least for me. We don't use paper towels, either. Our feed store owner recommended fine hardwaremesh wire cut to fit the brooder. This goes over two inches of pine shavings. Very easy to hose down, dry and pop back in, and it gives the chicks firm footing those early first few days.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I always look for those freebies. You never know when you need them. I had 2 bags of about 100 puppy pads and my friends laughed at me for going to get them from this person on Craigslist. I had them about 5 months before I had to use them. My turkey got sick 2 weeks ago and he had to come inside my laundry room ICU. Well guess what? I had the puppy pads ready for him. It I had not had those puppy pads, I would have had to purchase paper towels. If you find the Free puppy pads or old towels, just stock up on them if you have the room to store them. They will save you a lot of money in the long run.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I have used this method since I started raising chickens. works well for me...