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

[onedozenphyllises]

Yeah, I don't know about online, but any feed store should have DE.

 

[Freyja]

Quote:
I wish! The feed stores here do carry DE but not food grade. The closest feed store that has it is nearly 100 miles away. Fortunately, my friend's son lives there and will be bringing me a 50# bag since he's coming to visit his folks. $26 for the feed store and some fresh-baked oatmeal cookies for him!

 

[cherrychicken]

Iuse folded news paper with grass and stuff on top

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Quote:
I wish! The feed stores here do carry DE but not food grade. The closest feed store that has it is nearly 100 miles away. Fortunately, my friend's son lives there and will be bringing me a 50# bag since he's coming to visit his folks. $26 for the feed store and some fresh-baked oatmeal cookies for him!

Why food grade? Is there a concern that they might eat it? (I ask because I don't put DE in my brooder - just in my adult coop, and they never peck at the bedding.)

 

[Freyja]

Quote:
Some people do feed DE to their chickens (and dogs, cats, horses, etc.) to control internal parasites. It's also added to flour and grains destined for human consumption to kill parasites in the grains.

I don't know if I'll feed it to my chickens -- need to read up on it more. But I've read here on BYC that some DE (especially the kind used for swimming pool filters) has added chemicals that can be lethal to chickens. I'm also going to use DE in my vegetable and strawberry plantings to help control insects, so food grade it must be!

There's a lot of info here on BYC regarding food grade DE.

And this page is helpful too.


ETA: link.

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Oh, I see. I routinely give new coop bedding a dusting of DE for good measure, but I don't feed it to them. Also, I get the kind for garden use - NOT swimming pool use.

 

[Pandora]

I recently shifted to the corn cob pellet bedding (can find at TSC or other farm supply stores). It was great. More absorbant and easier to clean than shavings. Its slightly smaller pellets than the other pelletized horse bedding, and odor control was better than shavings or pellets. I've had no issues with the chicks eating the bedding.