brooder bedding

[Silky45]

So I've been searching the threads and I can't seem to find a definitive answer to brooder bedding. I know it is mostly personal preference, but I like clarity. I have a friend who only uses newspaper in her brooders (but then I read it's too slippery), I google bedding and read that someone else uses plastic shelf liner and paper towel (paper towel is like gold right now, along with TP so I don't want to waste what stock I have and I don;t have shelf liner), more people on google seem to use sand (I research and find that most sand has silica, which is a carcinogen, so i dont want to use that). HELP.
Someone please lay it out for me lol. I read people like shavings/wood chips but that they are a pain to clean. I want/need something easy and simple to clean and use.

 

[Silky45]

I have been using pine shavings for small animals with low dust . I personally like the brand Kaytee . I had no problems with chicks not being able to distinguish wood shavings from food . I don’t think newspapers or anything they can’t scratch around in is a bad idea. This is something they naturally love to do . Also when they try to dust bathe in there wood shavings it’s adorable

 

[MaidMariHen]

My family used paper towel for the first few days and then switched to pine shavings.

 

[NewChkinTown]

I have been using pine shavings for small animals with low dust . I personally like the brand Kaytee . I had no problems with chicks not being able to distinguish wood shavings from food . I don’t think newspapers or anything they can’t scratch around in is a bad idea. This is something they naturally love to do . Also when they try to dust bathe in there wood shavings it’s adorable

Hey! Thanks for the reply. I ended up going with Softwood Shavings from the feed store. It has worked out well, though I find it a bit dusty as it breaks down but the girls don't seem to be bothered. They will be 5 weeks old this Friday and are loving life lol. They spend almost every day outside if I can get the help to get them in and out. They hate being back in the house at night lol they have really taken to their coop.

 

[NewChkinTown]

My family used paper towel for the first few days and then switched to pine shavings.

I ended up doing pee pads for the first day then just moved on to shavings

 

[Show Sebright]

I do paper towels for the first week because the chicks seem to bury there heads under the bedding. I am always scared that one of my chicks will suffocate. But after the first week I go wood chips.

 

[Teresa D]

I start off with potty pads (not the gel type) for about a week in a plastic bin, keeping a close eye on their poop. Then switch to wood/pine shavings in my brooder which is in the patio until feathered then out to the Chicken House. While in the brooder I sprinkle PDZ under the layer of shavings, picking out the big poops & adding more shavings as needed.

The sounds great. I did the same except for PDZ. I think I might start out with PDZ and pine shavings in my coop.

 

[Teresa D]

I read that play sand has silica in it. Does this one?

Is silica good or bad?

 

[Teresa D]

Is silica in play sand good or bad?

 

[Teresa D]

Sorry. It's an ingredient. A carcinogen. Causes cancer and severe respiratory issues.

Thank you. Not surprising they put it in children’s sand