Does anyone know what the best bedding for 1 day old chicks is?

[Ben Rogers]

pine shavings

I use them, too.

 

[Habibs Hens]

just adding my 2 bits worth here

i dont use none at all just plain layed newspaper to catch the poop changed daily

why you ask?

this is because all chicken are born without knolledge as are all life on earth and need to be taught

chicks will eat anything they can get in their mouths, this includes wood shavings, sawdust, straw or hay

use none and soon they will learn food is in the pot and nothing else is edible as its not accessable

and as we all know eating of wood shavings or sawdust causes pasty butt

 

[ImTheRealElly]

paper towels wokr well. pine shavings too. but this year i let 2 hens hatch some and once they hatched the hens prefered straw for the baby nest. they had a choice of dirt, new straw, pine shavings and old thoroughly scratched and pecked straw. they consistantly choose the new straw. they make a big deep nest for the babies.

 

[Ben Rogers]

My chicks were pecking the newspaper and papertowels and even the cardboard lining off those--that's why I stopped using them. I figure at least pine shavings are natural and not man-made, processed, unnatural garbage. If they eat a few shavings? *shrug* They learn it's not very tasty and scratch around to find the food.

I've only lost one to crusty-butt (out of 60, so far) and it arrived from the hatchery with crusty-butt.

 

[dl9976]

You could use paper towels if you have just a couple chicks..but I wouldnt recommend it.........If you do choose to use paper towels I would switched to pine after a couple weeks...cause with just the paper towels they poop on it and then step in it. not only is that gross but they can slip it in and that can cause permanent leg damage! and never use newspaper as the same thing can happen.... you cant go wrong with pine shavings. I would just use that if you can from the begining...they like scratching at it and making a bed in it too!

 

[Stephanie739]

My chicks were pecking the newspaper and papertowels and even the cardboard lining off those--that's why I stopped using them. I figure at least pine shavings are natural and not man-made, processed, unnatural garbage. If they eat a few shavings? *shrug* They learn it's not very tasty and scratch around to find the food.

I've only lost one to crusty-butt (out of 60, so far) and it arrived from the hatchery with crusty-butt.

I've never seen chicks eat the pine, and I've not had any with pasty butt issues....they seem to prefer to eat food and drink water

 

[Habibs Hens]

I've never seen chicks eat the pine, and I've not had any with pasty butt issues....they seem to prefer to eat food and drink water

my chicks always seem to eat shavings on day 1 and thats why i stopped using anything in my brooder and so far works a treat

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I used puppy pads... and I loved it.

 

[Hawgon]

I just read about a shard of pine shaving in a chick's neck as a warning not to use pine. I suppose it could happen, but as I read the rest of the story, it sounded absolutely ridiculous; feeding the baby chick with her own mouth, mixing in infant formula and infant rice cereal in with the chick food, eventually moving on to mashed hot dogs at 5 days of age...some chick rescue place for unwanted or abused chickens.
lol I just read a bit more..she makes a napkin and napkin ring nest for the baby chicken with a tent instead of using pine http://chickenheavenonearth.weebly.com/pine-bedding-can-be-dangerous-to-baby-chicks.html

I have heard (and believed) that cedar is toxic.

There is a lot of nonsense on the web. I think there is an agenda to dissuade people from having backyard chickens...  http://www.chow.com/food-news/104627/the-dark-side-of-backyard-chickens/

That Chow.com article is the stupidest thing I have read in awhile......Very one-sided with crazy dollar amounts. I told the wife we have to get rid of the cat now because it cost us $18/lb per year to keep it!.......lol

 

[afarrington2]

Thanks again guys!