chick bedding

[lazydaisy67]

Quote:
Well, I'm not sure I've ever seen splayed legs, maybe I have and didn't know what it was, but I have picked poo off and had it rip their toes open!!! I was learning the ropes and didn't know any better. Since then I just give them a little foot bath if it gets too bad. My friend said the shavings are a mess, but it can't be any worse than newspaper! I think I'll try that this year, but will have to make a bottom for my cage as it's just wire right now. When is it ok for them to walk on the wire bottom?

 

[dovecanyon]

When I set up my brooder, I put down several layers of paper towels (I do about 8-10 layers), before the chicks ever go in. That way I can just roll up the top one when it gets dirty and throw it away, before the chicks are walking in so much poo. Usually, by the time that last layer of paper towels is gone, they are eating well and I put in the pine shavings. I put a puppy pee-pad in first, and put the pine shavings on top, then I can just lift out the pee-pad and shake the shavings into the trash, put it back and top with more shavings. My brooder stays pretty clean this way, and so do my chicks.
I, personally, don't like the wire bottoms for my chicks. I think it hurt their feet... but that's just me. If I had a wire bottom, I would probably cover it with the shelf liner many people use. I use it in the bottom of my hatcher. It would be easy to rinse off and re-use. I don't find the pine shavings to be a mess in the brooder, you don't need a really thick layer for the baby chicks.

 

[Kittymomma]

I've used pine shavings in the past, but next time I'm gonna use pine pellets. I think (and have read) that there will be much less dust. The shavings work good, but are really dusty so I have high hopes for the pellets.

 

[Pureupto99per]

I used cabinet liners (had to wash them everyday and the chicks feet too) for the first week when my Delawares (Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, Yum-Yum, and Leonard) hatched then I moved them to pine shavings (i hate pine shavings, so messy and dusty)...

NOW (since I bought straw for my coop) I use a bit of straw for their bedding and I LOVE IT!!. It doesn't get the water dish soggy and gross, it's not all over their food dish and they love to peck and scratch around in it for little "treats" (grains and grain dust I'm assuming). It's also easier to clean up and cheaper to buy (one bail of straw for me is eight dollars as opposed to fifteen dollars for a block thing of cedar chips). Plus, it's what they're going to be used to when I move them to the coop AND if they were being raised by a broody then they would be sleeping on straw anyway...

HAVE FUN!!

 

[juliette2009]

Dovecanyon wrote:

When I set up my brooder, I put down several layers of paper towels (I do about 8-10 layers), before the chicks ever go in. That way I can just roll up the top one when it gets dirty and throw it away, before the chicks are walking in so much poo. Usually, by the time that last layer of paper towels is gone, they are eating well and I put in the pine shavings. I put a puppy pee-pad in first, and put the pine shavings on top, then I can just lift out the pee-pad and shake the shavings into the trash, put it back and top with more shavings. My brooder stays pretty clean this way, and so do my chicks.
I, personally, don't like the wire bottoms for my chicks. I think it hurt their feet... but that's just me. If I had a wire bottom, I would probably cover it with the shelf liner many people use. I use it in the bottom of my hatcher. It would be easy to rinse off and re-use. I don't find the pine shavings to be a mess in the brooder, you don't need a really thick layer for the baby chicks.

Last edited by dovecanyon (Today 1:47 am)
++++++++++++++

This is the way I do it as well, minus the puppy pad! I use layers of paper towels in a Rubbermaid bin for the first week, rolling up the towels as they get soiled. I then put the chicks in a kiddie swimming pool, under red heat lamps. I used to use pine shavings, but since I keep the chicks in my computer room for 6-7 weeks or so, I decided to try pine pellets for my Christmas hatch this year...I like it a lot, no dust, and the chicks seem to walk just fine on it! I think it's a keeper! Here are my frizzled Seramas, born on Christmas...

 

[Pureupto99per]

OMG frizzles are sooo cute!! I wish they were better egg layers so I could justify getting some!

 

[dovecanyon]

Juliette2009: you have convinced me! I will try the pellets for my next batch of chicks. I have a big bag in the shed, just sitting there as I use sand and pine shavings in the outdoor coop/run. Thanks! try the puppy pad, you'll thank me.

 

[felidaet]

Last year I put a couple of inches of wood shavings in the brooder. Then I covered them with paper towels. I replaced the paper towels about once a day. This meant that I would take the chicks out and put them in a box for a few minutes while I cleaned the brooder.

I like the idea of several layers of paper towels to start with and removing dirty layers. I will try it this year!

Using the wood pellets instead of shavings is in interesting idea. We already use them (wood stove pellets) in our pet bunny cages. It works great. I am wondering if the surface would be too uneven for them (I am thinking of a human twisting an ankle). Does anyone have any thoughts of why not to use the pellets? Note - I definitely am going to keep to the wood shavings in the coop.

 

[The Sheriff]

For the first few days I use doggy training pads instead of paper towels. They work great and two fit my brooder perfectly. My friend told me they make the same thing for incontinent adults and they are much cheaper. She said they are in the Depends aisle. She says to avoid embarrassment at the checkstand she mentions that they are for her mother-in-law!

 

[dovecanyon]

Warden, you always make my day!