Brooder floor sugestions

[AstraChick]

I'm after some comments on brooder flooring. I'm using puppy pads with paper towels on top but in a few days i need to upgrade.
I have tried straw/hay not a big fan of this but i have seen hay cut up into tiny pieces, that maybe
an option. I have also tried fine and chunky sawdust, not a big fan as the chicks try and eat it.
My main concern is the chicks trying to eat the flooring. bloody cheeky buggers they are
Chicks are on a heat pad which is padded up so it's 1" higher than the floor.
I also have a thick clear plastic linen inside the cage which goes up the side to keep any flooring in place.

I was thinking of trying the construction sand this time but then i read on here about sweet pdz.

What are your thoughts on sand ?? and has anyone here used sweet pdz ?? on the floor of the brooder.

Couple of pics of my homemade brooder
TIA

 

[Eggs2chicks]

I use pine shavings and they may graze a little on it, but it’s fine. I am only going to use the PDZ on their poop boards in their coop.

 

[AstraChick]

I use pine shavings and they may graze a little on it, but it’s fine. I am only going to use the PDZ on their poop boards in their coop.

i was inspired with a thread on here about sweet pdz on the poop boards and have decided to do it but i thought maybe i could use it on the brooder floor aswell.
do you use fine or chunky pine shavings

 

[Eggs2chicks]

Lol. Good question. I just ask for pine shavings and that is what they give me. Lol.

 

[Eggs2chicks]

My husband came up with a brilliant idea as I was making poop boards for the coop the other day. He suggest that i use left over screening and attach it to two boards. That way you just take it out and hose it off. I am going to try it today. I think some may get through but not much of any. I am excited about the idea. I’ll post what I am doing as my coop is quite different with the roosting bars on the ceiling practically. I had to put them there as they kept using the roof cross beam anyway and they all wouldn’t fit. Lol. So now they are all roosting on the ceiling. Lol. I’ll take pics today.

 

[CatWhisperer]

I only use PDZ on poop boards, I would not use it in a brooder as the chicks will eat it. I am a fan of pine shavings after the first several days on puppy pads. I have also used pine pellets after they are bigger, and liked that. If you have access to hemp bedding there I think that also would be a good option.

 

[Folly's place]

I use the fine pine shavings, with some paper towels on top for the first couple of days in the brooder.
Broody raised chicks are on pine shavings from day one.
@AstraChick , if you ever do bantam chicks, they will get right out through those cage bars. For them, smaller openings. They can get through chicken wire's 1" openings!
Mary

 

[aart]

Chicks are on a heat pad which is padded up so it's 1" higher than the floor.

Confused about the heat source, heat pad is on the floor.
I'd get it up off the floor so they can go under it to better regulate their temp:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

I was thinking of trying the construction sand this time but then i read on here about sweet pdz.

Have used sand and/or PDZ as brooder bedding, mixed with poop it turns to concrete balls on feet.
I use paper towels over PDZ in brooder for a week, then out to the coop!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[AstraChick]

Eggs2chicks beautiful mumma, i miss my broody

Folly's place that's why i do large breed, Australorps and have the plastic liner that goes up the side inside the cage sort of like a fitted sheet. Few years back i seen my little chick get out of the chicken wire while in broody mums care

maybe i might try out the pine shavings again as i still have some left over and have a search around as to what's available in my small town

 

[cmom]

I have a brooder cabinet I use it has hardware cloth. I have some trays I put under the hardware cloth filled with pine shavings. Their poop goes through the wire into the poop trays. For the first few days I put paper towels on top of the wire. This keeps their food and water clean. I use regular incandescent bulbs as a heat source.