Cleaning..

Date sort Score sort
Nadiia

Nadiia

Chirping
5 Years
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
124
Reaction score
16
Points
96
Location
London
Hi chicken lovers :D my dad bought some powder dust for my chicks.. But on the bag it says it's for Chinchillas. The lady at the pet shop said it was okay but I was just wondering if it is?? Also, their brooder keeps steaming up??
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


What is this dust used for and why do you want to use it?

How is your brooder set up? As for steaming up brooder, do not cover the top of the brooder with anything but a screen or wire of some sort. Covering it with something solid or even partially solid will hold in too much moisture and heat, not letting good oxygen and heat exchange.

Good luck with your babies!
 
I wouldn't take a chance using it on chicks. Chinchillas are mammals birds are NOT. Their sytems may not be able to handle it. They need a product that is safe for chicks and chickens. What is the powder for?

If your brooder is steaming up it must be too hot or lack ventilation. If should have a wire mesh cover to keep chicks inside and house pets OUT. , and importantly allow the flow of fresh air.

If they are too hot and not getting any air flow, they will suffocate. Do you have any thermometers in the brooder?. If so what is the temperature reading? How old are your chicks, they need different levels of heat depending on how young they are.

Are they okay? If they are at a good temperature they will be laying slightly apart. If they are too cool they pile up on each other trying to get warm. If they lay far apart they are too hot.

I'm guessing you are using a solid plastic container for a brooder. so heat and humidity are trapped inside. NOT GOOD. If you are using a heat lamp and the temperature is too hot, you need to raise the lamp higher until the temperature level is correct., or use a lower wattage bulb.

It would really help if you would put up a picture of your brooder set up and what the chicks looks like inside it.
 
Last edited:
He bought the dust so the chicks can clean themselves..? My brooder us a clear box with big air holes all around it. They are also still using the light so I thought I had to keep the kid on at all times..
 
Nadiia said:
Hi chicken lovers
big_smile.png
my dad bought some powder dust for my chicks.. But on the bag it says it's for Chinchillas. The lady at the pet shop said it was okay but I was just wondering if it is?? Also, their brooder keeps steaming up??
Click to expand...
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I think I greeted you on an earlier thread. :o) I'm assuming your dad bought the Chinchilla dust for dust bathing. Chinchilla dust is made from volcanic ash, so I would think it would be okay for your chickens, but I've never used it personally on my chickens, so I am not speaking from experience. I actually keep a big, flat box of wood ash in the coop for my chickens to bathe in. They love it and it works better for preventing lice and mite infestations than dust, dirt, or sand does. Sounds like either the temperature in your brooder may be too high, or else your brooder may need better ventilation. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in correcting your brooder temperature and humidity.
 
I wouldn't risk using this dust on them. Chicks do not need to dust bathe just yet and can wait till they get to the coop. If you want to give them something to bathe in, you can use sand, wood shavings or even dirt from outside. You can put these in a small tray or low pan.

Use a thermometer in your brooder. Keep the heat/light off to one side, food and water on the other. Place the thermometer directly beneath the heat source on the floor. You should start out day old chicks at around 90 to 95 degrees. Lower this temp each week by 5 degrees. Do not cover the lid of your brooder with anything solid. They need maximum oxygen and the heat needs to escape. Covering the top oft he brooder can cause it to over heat and kill the chicks.

Here is a nice article from our learning center on raising chicks for the first 60 days...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens
 
Thanks for replying so quickly.. Yes you have greeted me already :D I'm sure your think I'm an idiot for not doing more research. My chicks are round 23days old and we've got them a bigger box but the light is still on 60watts. I wasn't sure when I had to change it. I know I'm doing this all wrong, I'll get it right soon xx
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X2 I wouldn't use the dust either. Too risky. Chickens are very prone to respiratory issues and this could very well cause some problems.

Like Two Crows said, it's easiest to keep a thermometer in the brooder so you know what the temp is always. It should start out at 95 degrees and be reduced by five degrees each week.
 
Welcome to BYC!

You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

You may also want to read the FAQ below.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom