Chick eating woodchips?

[chickenrookie16]

i replaced the bedding for my chicks and notice that there were eating the little pieces of woodchips.
is that normal or okay?

 

[BeccaB00]

that is definatly NOT okay. this can cause serious problems.

Do away with the woodchips right away.

good luck!

 

[MakNugget]

Wood chips or pine shavings? I have shavings and they may eat some on occasion thinking it's something else. I have a log in the run that they peck at the bark for insects and see them take chunks off but not eating them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They will peck and eat about anything, including bits of wood shavings. If they have grit, the wood shavings should be ground up in their gizzard and pass through their system without causing problems. If you are not providing grit, I suggest you get some sand (preferably coarse sand like construction sand not the fine stuff like play sand. It is too smooth and fine to do a lot of good) and offer it to them in a separate container. Chicks raised outside by their mother will be getting grit from the ground and eating bits of dried grass and weeds, bits of wood, whatever is on the ground. As long as they have grit and can process it, it should not be a big problem.

Good luck!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I think Ridgerunner is right. My chicks ate pine shavings all the time. Once I got Douglas fir shavings by mistake and they REALLY liked to eat those (which I removed after a couple days). My chicks spent all day in the tractor in the yard though and so had access to grit from the git-go. I didn't loose a single chick, they didn't ever appear to get ill from it and they are 8 months old now. I too worried a little bit about it at first, but unnecessarily in hindsight.

 

[woodmort]

They will sample everything if it is good for them or not. For that reason it is a good idea not to use anything they will think is food until they know what is eatable and what isn't. While I always use newspaper for the first couple of weeks, some argue it will cause leg problems and use paper towels, even dog training sheets. I've never had a problem with newsprint but I always stay away from shavings until they begin to feather out.