brooder size/litter question

[hensonly]

Hi,

I know cleanliness is vital for babies of any description, so if I'm using pine shavings for my 2 1/2 week old RIRs, how often do I shovel the whole brooder out and put in all clean shavings?

My brooder is a heavy cardboard box about 3 1/2 feet x 3 1/2 feet and I have 15 chicks in it. They have hanging feeder and waterer (but they still get shavings in the water!). I keep a hospital incontinence pad under the shavings below the waterer in case of spills - the box has to last several more weeks! The shavings are about 2 inches deep, and because the poop sifts down to the bottom, the brooder looks clean. But just because I can't see the poop doesn't mean it's not there! So how often should I replace the shavings?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[happyhen]

I change out my shavings every week. In between I just scoop up the messy areas to remove the nasties, fluff, and top with shavings.

So far so good, and no odor.