Brooder bedding?

[Leader Bee]

Looking for advice on what to lay on the floor of my brooder when I get my goslings early next year?
I know newspaper is a bad idea so I was thinking straw or wood shavings, although I think i've read about wood shavings/sawdust being potentially bad for them for a variety of reasons.

What do you guys use and what do you think is best?

 

[DiYMama540]

I've seen a lot of people use puppy pads, and that seems to work pretty well.
When I brood, I usually put down a couple layers of newspaper, then I use the pine pellet bedding on top of that. However, with that, I did notice BB goose eating newspaper a couple times, but I think the bedding pellets are too big for them to eat. I was feeding the babies crumbles, so they didn't associate the pellets with food.

 

[DiYMama540]

Just be sure to avoid cedar! It can be toxic!

 

[Leader Bee]

Just be sure to avoid cedar! It can be toxic!

Thank you - I knew I had read somewhere that a particular bedding has oils in it that can be toxic, it must have been this.

 

[bluemerle]

I always use old pillowcases - easy to find cheap secondhand, reusable, and it produces the least 'barn-y' smell. Just be sure there's no loose threads!

 

[Leader Bee]

I always use old pillowcases - easy to find cheap secondhand, reusable, and it produces the least 'barn-y' smell. Just be sure there's no loose threads!

Well actually, as it happens I do have a couple of goose feather pillows in the house...

 

[Henry&Friends]

I’ve only brooded chickens and guineas, but I always have luck lining the bottom of a rabbit cage (pictured below, no ramp level or wire on bottom tho) with a feed bag, then adding wood shavings on top. The tray on my cage slides in and out, which makes this super easy. Put feeders & waterers up on bricks above the bedding so they don’t kick it all into their food and water. When you change bedding, just take the tray to dumping spot (I use the bedding in gardens) and dump it. Put in a new feed bag, rinse it off or just reuse the bag. I’ve used it about 3 times now, and added the feed bag after I got sick of scraping out the bottom.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

I’m not sure for goslings, but I use pine shavings in my brooder and coop without problems. Good luck!

 

[Leader Bee]

Might go with shavings then, cheap and easy to get hold of

 

[Iain Utah]

I always use old towels/throw blankets/clothes. It provides good traction for babies, can be washed for re-use or thrown away, and are super cheap if purchased at thrift shops.