HELP!! my goslings are eating pine shavings!!

[cranberrychowder]

I have 2 Roman Tufted goslings that are 10 days old and have been using the old bath towel on shavings technique for their bedding. My research suggests you can put them on shavings after the first week. Removing the towel twice a day is really getting difficult. I tried no towel today and they were eating it relentlessly, even though Metzler farm (the hatchery I got them from) claim it's not a problem after a week. What can I do besides rack up a huge water bill for doing laundry 2-3 times a day? Is there a better bedding?? Horse pellets? Hay? Playground chips?

I am adamantly against puppy pads as it creates unnecessary waste.

Ugh. I am so paranoid that they will die if they eat wood shavings. It's making me a mess.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Provide them with some chick grit. I've raised chicks on pine shavings twice, keeping paper towels down for the first two days (I compost them), but in the future I've decided to use sand or coffee grounds because it's easier to clean, and I'm tired of the paranoia over the babies eating pine shavings, although have suffered no casualties thus far.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Get puppy pee pads and try in another week put the pads over the shavings