HELP!!! What kind of litter for baby chicks?

[Chad the Chicken Man]

Hi my name is Chad, Im new to BYC. I am getting 14 new borns, and I herd from a friend that you cant use newspaper as flooring. I work for a meat company and sell hardwood hickory sawdust for smoke houses, and was wondering if this would work for the bedding for the chicks. I was also going to use this sawdust in the chicken coop, 8x8, for the deep litter method. This is all so new to me. Any help would be great. the chicks will be here the week of the 3rd!!! SO EXCITED.
Thank you much

 

[TXmom]

Hmmmm...I don't know anything about Hickory sawdust. Most of us use pine shavings...and I know Cedar is bad and we shouldn't use it...but Hickory might be OK.

You don't want to use newspaper because it's slippery and can cause spraddle legs. In the very beginning, you should use plain old paper towels...they are absorbent, not slippery, and the chicks can't eat them. When mine were babies, I put pine shavings in the bottom of the brooder, with layers of paper towels on top. When the paper towels get dirty, replace them (several times a day if you have a lot of chicks). After several days, once the chicks are eating good and know the difference between food and shavings, you can leave the paper towels out and put them directly on the shavings (or sawdust).

 

[TXmom]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot

 

[Chad the Chicken Man]

Thank you very much TXmom

 

[juliect]

Pine is best, more absorbent.

 

[chik magnet]

Use pine shavings.

 

[rhodiegal]

The only thing that would worry me about sawdust and baby chicks is that they may try to eat it up - however, I have never done it and have not a clue (and even if they did eat it - would it even bother them??). Someone else may be able to chime in on that. We use paper towels on pine shavings for the first 3 and then pine after that. Anyway, good luck and enjoy!

 

[RIVERA69R]

Use pine shavings But at first cover the shavings with paper towel for the first couple of days so the chicks get use to what is food and what is pine shavings!!!! Dont want them to try to eat the shavings at first

 

[Chad the Chicken Man]

Ok sounds good, Thank you everyone for your help. Does anyone know a good cheap place to buy that DE powder online?

 

[Chicken Girl]

I would not use sawdust. My dad oes a lot with wood and that makes them cough and sneeze. I would get shavings!! Welcome!

Chicken Girl