Flooring for new chicks

[cbascom]

My first ever set of chicks will be here tomorrow.

I have read to avoid newspaper as flooring because it is slippery, but the instructions from the hatchery (murray Mcmurray) says to place newspaper on top of the shavings for the first day with the chick food sprinkled on top.
Which is my best bet? The chicks will be an assortment of heavy breeds, if that matters.
Thanks in advance.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I like to put the pine shavings down and then put paper towels on top.

This is just my personal preference and it works VERY well!

 

[aart]

Puppy pads work too, but their little toenails can catch in them when they try to scratch.
I used the pads for 3 days then switched to quickcrete fine white sand and some PDZ mixed in, worked great, easy to sift the poops out every day.

 

[wowmanacat]

I always just put the babies on to the pine shaving and have never had any problems. I also put marbles in tot he water dish for the first dish for the first two days or so. I have lost babies to not having marbles int he water dish.

 

[rc4u]

I think buying burlap coffe bags and cutting one side and bottom then laying that on the shavings works very good {well its what my gramma did} and its so easy to take out and shake off the droppings..and they can walk on it very good..jeff

 

[butterflygrooves]

I'm putting old saddle blankets down over the linoleum, no pine or other bedding (maybe straw on one side). Our chickens free range at all times so they are used to pooping on the ground where they feel like so our chicks don't need to get used to pine/sand/straw.

 

[alynyc]

Which pine shavings do you use? I have found too many different types and I don't know which is best for baby chicks.

Also, any preference on marbles? Should they just be glass to avoid any toxins?

Thanks!!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Which pine shavings do you use? I have found too many different types and I don't know which is best for baby chicks.

Also, any preference on marbles? Should they just be glass to avoid any toxins?

Thanks!!!

I just buy the only pine shavings the feed store offers. They come in big compressed bags.

 

[warf73]

We got our first chicks last Friday and we are using newspapers as bedding. But the brooder is a 55gal aquarium we used for raisingangle fish. The newspaper bedding is working great so far.