How often do you clean the brooder?

[Chick_Chick]

I have a 4' x 6' brooder with 22 two week old chicks in my dining room. How often should I clean the brooder (it's filled with pine shavings)? Does anyone have a nifty technique to do this? Scooping them up and putting them in an alternative bin causes a big uproar for them. Do you like to just scoop out some dirty litter and add more or clean out all of it?

 

[Lovem all]

I kind of walk by and go my gosh it stinks in here, time to clean it. When it was just 12 I had to do it weekly.

 

[vintage]

I'm interested too, I've been scooping here and there (mostly around water/food) and then adding fresh on top. I plan to scoop it all and add it to our compost weekly.

 

[EverV]

I spot cleaned mine every two or so days, daily when they got older. Of course, when they spilled there water I ended up cleaning it out ever couple hours XD! We've since gotten a nipple style waterer. I think in the entire six or so weeks they were inside, we only completely cleaned it out two or three times. Good luck with your chicks!

 

[mcdze]

i use cardboard boxes and tape them up good on all the seams .. and i use 'two' ... one is always ready with fresh litter ... imo handling the chicks to switch them to different places every couple of days makes for a better relationship betwixt you and them lol ... but yeah .. only way i would use a 'built' brooder is if i was running an industrial size operation .. cardboard boxes are easy .. when theyre wore out burn um and get another one

 

[Jaslynn]

I do a complete clean every 2 days and a spot clean every day. While I’m cleaning, they go in a cat carrier. They are accustomed to that now. They see me getting ready to change their bedding and they line up at the door. 4-6 of them lead the way and just confidently walk from their brooder to the carrier as soon as I open the door
I think it is good for them to get used to being moved. I also change something in their brooder (add/remove something or rearrange their furniture) every 4-5 days so that they get used to change.

 

[vintage]

I do a complete clean every 2 days and a spot clean every day. While I’m cleaning, they go in a cat carrier. They are accustomed to that now. They see me getting ready to change their bedding and they line up at the door. 4-6 of them lead the way and just confidently walk from their brooder to the carrier as soon as I open the door
I think it is good for them to get used to being moved. I also change something in their brooder (add/remove something or rearrange their furniture) every 4-5 days so that they get used to change.

Too cute!!

 

[Lisa3315]

I have nine 4-week old chicks, and my brooder is three big cardboard boxes that have been taped together to create a chick McMansion. I have pine shavings in two of the boxes, and pine pellets in the box with their food and water because the pellets have been less messy. I've been adding a little bit of new shavings/pellets everyday, and replacing all of the shavings/pellets every 4-5-ish days maybe. I probably don't need to be totally replacing the shavings as often as I am, I'm probably being overly cautious, but . They have enough space that when I'm cleaning out one of the rooms/boxes, they can just hang out in one of the other ones.

 

[rosemarythyme]

With 22 chicks you're probably looking at every 2 to 3 days - more frequently if they knock over the water.

What I actually do now is... not clean, at all. Because I brood outside I simply move the brooder when it's dirty and the adult chickens come over and scratch up the litter and "clean" for me.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I clean mine every 4-5 days, although there are only 7 chicks. When I do that I put them in a separate box, (they are really comfortable with being moved around) and dump out their shavings.