Chicks Eating Pine Shavings

[ncgnance]

My chicks are now 1 week old, growing like weeds, and fighting up a storm. They even have little wing and tail feathers already. But they're eating pine shavings like crazy. I left the paper towels down over the shavings for 3 days, until they were eating really good out of the feeder. But as soon as I took the towels up, they started scratching and eating the shavings. They are eating plenty of starter food, but I worry that the shavings just can't be good for them. So, this morning, I replaced the paper towels. If anyone else has had this problem, what did you do?

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

Are you sure they are actually eating them?? They do peck and scratch and play with them alot!

 

[fdnick]

Ours are about the same age and love to bury themselves in the shavings.. they snuggle in and kick it all over :O)
but I have not seen them actually eating any.. they do peck alot though, and the Jersey Giants love to hop on top of the waterer.. and of course the waterer is always kicked full of shavings, we had to place them on top of pie pans to get them off the ground

 

[cristina33]

Mine did that at first they will stop. They are checking them out and will soon find that chick food taste better

Take Care
Cristina

 

[Catalina]

My chicks are 7 weeks old and they still eat a few shavings. They're healthy and growing like weeds so I guess it's just good fiber.

 

[Anna-Mossity]

I just put down pine shavings for my week old chicks too. They are having a blast with it, but I haven't started giving them grit yet since they only "eat" their chick food. Will this be okay? They were all eating well out of the feeder, and still show an interest in it. Should I go ahead and get some grit even b/c of the shavings?

 

[LoneCowboy]

I heard that you should sprinkle their food with grit like you would salt your food, just a little bit and you should do it at 3 days old. I read that in a couple of books. I'm no chicken expert.

 

[2mnypets]

Most chick starter have some form of grit already in them. My chicks that are in the brooder now (2 weeks old) play and peck at the pine bedding. I think they are curious more than anything. This is my fifth set of babies this year so I've watched them all do this. None have died from it so even if they do swallow some in their crop I haven't seen any negatives. Now if they are really eating a lot of it, that's another story. But experimenting to find out what it is...that's ok.

 

[ncgnance]

Thanks for all the posts. Yes, they are eating the shavings. Yesterday, when I put the paper towels back down over the shavings, it took them about 3 minutes to start tearing off pieces of paper and eating THAT. Then they got back to the shavings again. I put some grit in for them just in case they need it, and I don't know what else to do. Now one of them is trying to dust in the spilled starter food. So far these chicks just don't seem too bright.LOL

 

[2mnypets]

Could be a vitamin deficiency. You may need to try some Avia Charge 2000. It's got everything that the chicks would need. You can find it at MCMurray Hatchery. Here's a link.

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/avian_charge_2000.html