Chicks eating newspaper...

[MontanaDolphin]

I was told that I should wait until my babies are at least 3 weeks old before I use the pine bedding because they could ingest it, expand in their tiny tummies, and kill them. No problem. I just laid newspaper down, and change it daily.

Apparently, my chicks don't understand the concept that eating newspaper is bad for them. They are a week and a half old, and find the edges of the newspaper, pluck at it, rip it, and run. Then the game of "catch the chick with the food in it's beak" commences. They are shredding the newspaper and eating some of the pieces! Now, if wood is bad for their digestion, so is newspaper! Not only is it NOT "as nature intended", but it's got chemicals in it from the ink! What can I do???? What else can I use until they are old enough for the pine bedding??

 

[Charlieandlola]

I put mine on pine bedding from day one, never had any blow up from it.
What about chopped straw?

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Will the straw hurt them if they ingest it, do you know? I don't want to put anything in there that might hurt them. Sigh. I wish they would just eat what they are supposed to eat! I have to make sure I vacuum my carpet before I let them out to roam for a few minutes, cuz any speck of dirt on the carpet is eaten. Doesn't matter what it is...dirt, paper, string, hair...if it looks different than the carpet, it's fair game.

 

[bigbum1984]

What about puppy training pads?

 

[Charlieandlola]

The hatchery I buy from actually recommends wood shavings or ground corn cobs over anything else. If you put paper down, they recommend taking it away after 1-2 days to avoid splayed leg problems on the flat, slippery paper.

Straw mats easily and is a little more difficult to clean, which is why I think shavings are superior for raising baby chicks.

No, I don't think eating straw will hurt them. If they were with a mother hen, they'd be eating anything and everything they came across while under her care. I grew up with chickens and I never saw a hen keep her chicks away from straw, hay, grass, bugs. I did see many, many baby chicks pecking through those things. Remember, just because they are pecking at it, doesn't necessarily mean they are ingesting it.

 

[joeyfender]

You should never use newspaper. Always use thick pine shavings. Do not use cedar, the toxins will kill them.

 

[SavvySilkieMom]

I am having the same issue with my silkie chicks. They play that same game! Caught them doing it this morning. Silkie are really sensitive birds. So I am not using pine pellets until 3 weeks old. Did you find an answer to your issue?

 

[Fluffyflufffluff]

Is it possible that your chicks have pica? I've read that pica may be caused by mineral deficiencies.