Brooder bedding?

[cleo624]

Is the shelf liner the kind with the little holes in it or the solid rubbery stuff?

 

[Going Quackers]

I like Flax! now not sure how common it is to find, it's not a picnic for me to locate either but it's my top choice for chickens and i still use it will all of ours as adults...

 

[CarlieO]

Is the shelf liner the kind with the little holes in it or the solid rubbery stuff?

I'm going to use the kind with the holes in it. I'm fearful that the solid rubbery stuff will still be too slick for their little uncoordinated bodies to handle.

 

[Brookshire11]

Is the shelf liner the kind with the little holes in it or the solid rubbery stuff?

It has little holes, but it is a little rubbery. Enough so that the solids stay on it but the rest is soaked up by the paper towels. I got it at the dollar store and 1 roll was enough for 3 pieces. I really like how well its working out.
They're my first chicks so I was really paranoid about making sure they didn't slip around. Lol.

 

[cleo624]

Sounds like something we will try out! Thanks y'all for sharing your knowledge.

 

[Brookshire11]

Sounds like something we will try out! Thanks y'all for sharing your knowledge.

Your welcome!
I can't take credit for the idea though.

I saw it on Fresh Eggs Daily
Good luck!

 

[mroger82]

Have been using sand in the brooder in my basement since the chicks were a day old and I absolutely love it! No smell, no mess and you don't have to buy grit for them. Not one problem with the chicks and they love it too. I also add a little diameticious(sp?) earth with a flour sifter to it also. They just walk around and lay in it like they're on a beach with the brooder lamp on them. The water seems to stay cleaner also as any sand quickly sinks to the bottom. Poop dries quickly and is easily removed.

 

[aart]

I used a fridge box lined with 6ml plastic and Quikcrete fine white sand mixed with PDZ for bedding.
Worked great just sifted the poop every day using a mesh organizer basket.
Still had a ton of dust from feather sheaths by 3 weeks.

 

[juliefurry03]

I was told to use puppy pads with paper towels on top. We have big sterilite bins that we plan on using to start off with and we are going to put the puppy pads on the bottom and than line those with paper towels. Seems to be the easiest option for us right now but who knows it may be a disaster we'll have to wait and see.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Would they not eat the Quickcrete? Thats concrete mix right? If so, I would be very worried about that. I know my chicks tear up any sand I put in for them. I usually use the parakeet sand in a little dish for the first couple of weeks as a source of grit for them. I know chicks can impact their little gizzards if they eat too much sand.

I used a fridge box lined with 6ml plastic and Quikcrete fine white sand mixed with PDZ for bedding.
Worked great just sifted the poop every day using a mesh organizer basket.
Still had a ton of dust from feather sheaths by 3 weeks.