cloth diapers as bedding?

[LifeIsSchool]

Hello! I'm a total noob here, just got my first mini flock of 6 chicks yesterday.

I've been using papertowels and/or newspaper as bedding to start, but I'm not loving it.

I was wondering if anyone has used cloth diapers (prefolds) as bedding in the brooder. It seems like a decent solution to me, better than paper towels and reuseable, but I'm wondering what the drawbacks are that I'm not considering. I know the laundry, but I washed my kids' poop in my washing machine so I don't think chicken poop would be different? Am I wrong?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I just used pine shavings from the beginning. Personally, I wouldn't want to do all that laundry.

Oh! and

 

[ChickensRDinos]

x2

I have always been pretty happy with pine shavings. Cloth diapers seem messy. I imagine the poop would stay on top and they would need to be washed very frequently. I find that I don't have to change the shavings all that often if you get a nice layer. Just lift the water and feeder up off the ground so that they don't kick the shavings in.

 

[cafarmgirl]

X3. I've always used pine shavings right from day one. Stays nice and dry and makes a nice bed for babies to sleep in. I personally don't like anything that lets lots of poop sit around where all those little feet are just constantly walking through it. Shavings are always getting scratched around and stirred up so the poop gets covered up and dries out pretty quick.

 

[LifeIsSchool]

so if I use pine shavings, how often to I change it out?

 

[missnu01]

When it starts to look yucky or smell bad...don't let it go too long...but you don't have to change them all that often with chicks. Just make sure to stir them up really well if the chicks aren't doing a great job at it.

 

[LoveChickens123]

i agree with Yay Chicks! and