This thread is way old, but I gave thought to wood pellets. Then opted for play sand. The sand sifts easy for cleaning, the washed playsand isn't dusty (cheaper sand is very dusty! It has to be washed) and I'm on the 3rd batch of chicks on the first bag of sand. So that's... 10 weeks on the same bag of sand. Cost effective! It was $3.50 about, fills a 3x3 brooder about 2 1/2 inches deep. Holds heat under the light but isn't a fire hazard.
The pellet bedding needs reduced to it's fineness by adding water and breaking it up. Just dump the play sand in and let it dry, stirring to help with drying. The pellets are pricey, play sand is not. Pellets still need removed, they cannot be sanitized between batches of chicks. Play sand, I pulled it out, spread it on a tarp in the sun, mixed a bleach solution into a spray bottle, and treated it that way. Or, a new bag for $3.50.
Sand can be treated with DE, can be used for dust bathing, and acts as a source of grit. When done brooding, dump it right into the adult chicken run, or transfer it with the babies to the new coop.
It dries poo quickly, and acts like cat litter. Sticks and dries to the yucky poo. Their feet stay clean!
I use it starting the 3rd week. The first 2 weeks they're on towels, learning to eat and drink.
Just sand and poo go to the compost, since I use shavings still in the runs and coop I have enough bedding in there already. Keeping the brooder as sand has really reduced waste. I empty out about 1 coffee container of waste once a week. Compared to a whole garbage bag of shavings.
