Cleaning the brooder / supplies

[newbie2014]

Alrighty, so I read not to change the brooder litter just to add more shavings and stir it regularly. Is this going to create a horrible stench? What do you do? (I have 80 chicks in a kiddie pool). Also, as far as cleaning the feeders & waterers, I'm supposed to do this daily, right? What solution should I use? Is regular dish soap alright? Or should I use something stronger? The waterers really stink after 24 hrs due to the heat in the brooder. What about adding apple cider vinegar to the water? Should I wait till I'm done with the vitamin suppliment in the water? Any tips regarding cleaning of the brooder would be very much appreciated. Thanks all!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Is your brooder in your house? If so, I would not do the deep litter method because it will smell.
As for cleaning the feeders and drinkers, I just give mine a quick finger scrub and refill them. You can use dish soap or a bleach solution to clean them, just be sure to rinse well. Vitamins and ACV- just pick one or the other. I wouldn't bombard them with too much stuff all at once.

Good luck

 

[newbie2014]

Yep, in the house. I think I'm going to want to move it out to the coop as soon as possible though. I don't know if I want 80 birds in my basement for 5 weeks. So, if not doing the deep litter method on the house how deep should the shavings be to protect the birds from leg problems, and how often should it be changed?

 

[Gracedby3]

Watching this because I am about to switch from puppy pads to pine shavings.

 

[aatx]

I don't have near that many chicks, only 17 now, but mine have been inside on shavings for almost a month now. I changed shavings when I went to a larger brooder at around the 2 week mark. I'm considering changing them again this weekend, but really don't have to. I do toss down a few handfuls of new shavings every couple of days. I don't stir it - the chickens scratch around in it and keep it turned over. It may be that I only have 17 bantam chicks in a brooder that is 4' x 6', so 24 square foot, and it could help that I am feeding the FF which is supposed to help with poop odor, but after the first 3 days, I really have had no chicken odor. (I attribute that to them pooping all over each other in the shipping box.)

 

[newbie2014]

I don't have near that many chicks, only 17 now, but mine have been inside on shavings for almost a month now.  I changed shavings when I went to a larger brooder at around the 2 week mark.  I'm considering changing them again this weekend, but really don't have to.  I do toss down a few handfuls of new shavings every couple of days.  I don't stir it - the chickens scratch around in it and keep it turned over.  It may be that I only have 17 bantam chicks in a brooder that is 4' x 6', so 24 square foot, and it could help that I am feeding the FF which is supposed to help with poop odor, but after the first 3 days, I really have had no chicken odor.  (I attribute that to them pooping all over each other in the shipping box.)

What is FF?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

FF = Fermented feed. There's a whole thread about it in the Feeding and Watering Your Flock section of the forum