chicks are eating pine shavings

[shaggy]

not sure --- hard to tell if they are eating it or if they are just picking it up --- the bloody poo doesn't seem like a good sign though

they have been in there for a week --- and i have been using newspaper up until this point ... so they know where the food an water is


got to watch them play football with a worm today though --- very amusing

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Bloody poo? Possibly cocci? You may want to get some Sulmet and treat your chickens. Get rid of the cedar asap and if you're giving them worms did they have grit??

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Sorry Shaggy, I went back and re-read the posts and I didn't see anywhere that you mentioned the bloody poo? I agree with LovinMyPeeps. Bloody poo could be coccidia and you should treat accordingly.

 

[shaggy]

i'll look it up -- coccidia -- thanks

 

[starforever61]

Quote:
hay actually has the perfect hiding places for mites and can carry mites, be careful!

 

[blondiebee181]

Okay so, I had my 4 chicks and 1 duckling on the Kaytee pine shavings the first day but the duck was eating them. The chicks appeared just to pick them up and chew them and drop them, so I put a layer of paper towels (Bounty) on top of the shavings and it seemed to deter them except they would nibble the towles a bit. Alas, however, ducky thinks its fun to shred the towles and pick the shavings out again (keep in mind they have plenty of food). So, just today I took out all the shavings because I wasn't sure if it would hurt any of them and I put down a layer of newspaper and some more paper towels on top. Is it okay to stick with shavings? Even if they eat some of it? The towels seem fine too, the surface is textured and they don't slip. It's easy to scrape the poopy off the surface too so I only have to change them once, sometimes twice a day. What do y'all think?

 

[Othylocke]

I personally think it would be okay if you stuck with just pine shavings. They should learn where you keep the feed and stick to that. If you see them pecking at the shavings, it is probably a tactic to relieve boredom more than an attempt to eat something.

 

[blondiebee181]

That's kind of what I was thinking, just don't want them to get sick.

 

[off-grid hen]

Mine are definitely eating the shavings. They had paper towels for the first two days and know where the food is. They are scratching through to fine the tiniest specks and then eating them. I added chick grit so they could at least break down the shavings a bit. Yesterday I switched back to paper towels and it is very dirty. This morning I saw dark orange bits in some of the poops. After careful inspection, it looks like the orangey colored pieces of shavings. maybe a thicker layer so they can't scratch all the way to the bottom of it and peck at the tiniest bits?

*sigh*. My last batch chicks didn't do this.

 

[mstricer]

I noticed it appeared mine were doing the same thing but on futher inspection, they were chicky digging for loose food. On the straw/ hay thing. I always use straw after the first week and have never had mites.