Brooder flooring...

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Just a little tip about flooring for the brooder...

I put down the no-slip rubberized flooring and then use puppy pee pads over it for the first week. It makes clean-up soooo easy. I change them once a day for the first couple of days, then when they start eating and pooping more, twice a day.

After a week I go to pine shavings. By that time they know what is food and what isn't (hopefully).

 

[Poison Ivy]

I use the bedding with the pads over top of it and then a layer of paper towels. I just change the paper towels out daily and the pads catch any water spills. They work great

 

[SusanJoM]

Wow....lots of work.

I duct tape the drain, and cover the floor of an old shower stall with an old shower curtain.

Then I lay down a couple of inches of pine shavings, and put a layer of paper towels on top. I add a layer of clean paper towels every day for a few days. Then I pick up all the paper towels, leave the pine shavings, and ..... leave the pine shavings, and..... leave the pine shavings. When the kids are ready for the coop (2 weeks or so), I grab the sides of the shower curtain, lift out all the shavings and toss them into the compost bin. It's the "deep litter method" for chicklets....

Even when I have used a 35-gallon Rubbermaid Storage bin, I have never changed out the shavings until the kids were ready to move out. If you put in a deep layer there doesn't seem to be to be any need....



Susan

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I like it!! I have a big Rubbermaid brooder...I'll definitely give it a try. I was concerned that the paper towels would come up and leave the shavings. I'm all for anything easier!!

 

[ginasmarans]

I quit usung shavings a long time ago. They are too messy. I use a rubbermade tote. I line it with newspaper and put a layer of shop towel(paper-blue kind, they're tougher than paper towels). When it's time to clean up,I remove the chicks,roll up the newspaper with the mess on the inside and toss it. I clean up any spill over,spray a little Lysol, wipe it and re-line it.