how long before taking out the paper towel

[thepremo1]

yeah that question up above
but heres a story
i got my chicks yesterday,
i covered the floor of the brooder with paper towel, but its made out of wood so ,since the frame is a different lvl that the floor i could cover it. i put my chicks in and within minutes they all found the pine shavings that were on the frame and started eating them. then i wiped all the chips off and spread feed around the brooder, and my 1 silver laced (wywadotte) (i cant spell)( i bought one for my gf and it had to be different from the others and this was the first breed he said(the guy who sold them to me) i really wanted a light branham, or something like that, but he had already put the otherone in the box when he mentioned that he had branhas and he was a OLD man with missing fingers so i didnt want to annoy him) anywho the one chick kicked chips everywhere and they were eating those instead of there food. then when i cleaned the water this morning there was a chip in the JAR. how is that possible!? its like magic

 

[Texasboy4ever]

When they drink or spill the water the displaced water causes air to be suck into the jar. If there is a wood chip in the water it will be sucked in and so will dirt food or what ever is in the dish

 

[midget_farms]

I change mine every other day - any longer than that & they start to smell. It's best to keep it clean.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Basically once they figure out food from woodshavings you can remove the papertowel covering.
I use papertowels over the wood shavings, but I would have added enough shavings to be level with the frame, that way the papertowels cover the frame & shavings.

 

[underground chickenman]

I put mine on shavings three or four days after arrival. Never had a problem. You must remove wet litter regularly. I recommend you put the waterer on top of some hardware cloth over a wood frame that is larger than the base of the waterer so any sloshes or spills fall through the wire where the chicks cannot contact it.

UGCM