chick bedding

[startingaflock]

Quote:
I am just wondering why some of your chicks have purple dots on their heads. I am new to hatching chicks (will be putting my first eggs in the incubator in February). Thanks

 

[juliette2009]

The colored marks are used for identification purposes. The chicks are very small upon hatching, so I color their heads with Crayola NON-TOXIC markers, so I know who the parents are, for breeding purposes. When they are about a week old, I then put little colored bands on their legs, matching the colors to the marks on their heads. The marks will wear off eventually, but it is easier to look at them from above to identify them, rather than having to squat down and peer at their little legs!

 

[mlmaxson]

Hey guys, I'm going to bump this thread because I've got my first chicks coming in a few weeks.

I use CareFresh bedding for my rabbit who is a house bunny. It's basically expensive recycled newspaper. It seems to work well absorption wise, the smell doesn't get bad if I change it once a week, and it's the least dusty thing I could find that does absorb. Has anyone ever had experience using this for chicks? Is newspaper okay for them in case of ingestion? That's why I use it for the bunnies, because pine and cedar are toxic if ingested. Do you all think I'd go through too much of it to make it worthwhile (it's kind of expensive)? Thanks for your help

 

[gryeyes]

Paper towels over pine shavings the first few days, then just pine shavings. Not toxic for chickens; cedar is, though.

 

[Keri78]

I use good old fashioned HAY!

Does the trick! I just start with a couple inches thick enough to cover the bottom of the brooder/rubbermaid tote(LOL) and every day I just add a little more fresh hay on top. At the end of the week I just dump the whole thing rinse it out with the hose (if it needs it) and start fresh. The hay allows the pee to drain down to the bottom and keeps everything dry. I use hay for their bedding in the barn too...I just love watching my girls arrange the hay around themselves to make nests!(soo cute!) PS. Hay smells great!(too me anyway) and one bale will last you well past 10 weeks!

 

[mlmaxson]

I use straw in the coop right now so I have more than enough fresh bales to put in a brooder. Since I was planning on keeping them in the house the first few weeks I was looking for something less dusty than shavings and less smelly than straw (I find that if I don't clean out straw often enough, i.e. more than once a week, then it gets smelling stale in enclosed places like a house).

 

[RAWR]

we used pine pellets first then when they moved out into the coop we used pine shave'ins

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I have always used news paper. and when it is dirty, I can just get it up and lay more down. I have NEVER had a problem with it.

 

[RAWR]

i think next time i may try the papers
but i read somewhere that chicks have less trouble moving around when using pine shavings or pellets rather than newspapers

 

[catdaddy66]

Don't forget that newspaper and paper towels are all compostable! The poo adds loads of nitrogen and your garden will grow CRAZY good veggies! One question though, are the incontinance pads also compostable? I have never heard if they are or not.