How often do you clean your brooder?

[funkgirl27]

the water is the only thing i see myself refilling alot like at least three times a day and ill pick the pine shavings out of the food i rased my water on some 2 by 4 and raised the food with some old little plates i had did the job these are three of the girls just got the first day outside today you can see them at www.wichitabackyardchickens.webs.com

 

[msalter521]

This is my first time raising baby chicks i have a brooder that is 2 foot wide by 4 foot long with 6 pullets didn't want any babies lol how often should i clean their pine bedding???

 

[MountainRoseBud]

New to chick raising here, but not new to animals. In places where disease spreads quickly, I would say clean often, but in my home where the environment is controlled and there's no diseases to be found, I'm not going to clean my brooder too often, unless it stinks. I've got 15 chicks in a a refrigerator box, with water elevated. We live in a dry environment (10,000 feet in the rockies) so mold won't be a problem. They seem a bit crowded, but that's what they'll have to live with until it stops snowing (end of May), or they're big enough to stay warm in the greenhouse. I have to agree with the idea that they're not going to live a "clean" life outside, so unless there is disease present, let em be dirty. They are dirty little birds after all. Eating each other's poop, dusty, worm eating, goofy looking creatures, but boy do they make life delicious!

 

[missnu01]

I have chicks and ducklings in the house and the chicks are about like the chickens...I add more hay from time to time, but haven't actually cleaned it out in about a week...they have zero smell. I do add some sweet pdz when I change the hay, and I add more hay when it starts looking all flat and trampled. I was using shavings and they needed to be changed about once every 2-3 days...but the hay is way better...I can just turn it and all the poops sift gently to the bottom just like with the adult chickens...so I'm going to keep on this way and see how it goes. The ducks though are gross....and they stink so so so much...because they keep everything wet all the time...We tried shavings, that was gross, we tried shredded paper, also gross...we tried sand, and it is just as gross as everything else. If they would just keep it dry for even a few minutes they probably wouldn't smell so terrible. I can't wait til they can go outside...or rather I wish the pekin's that are outside would hurry up and feather so I can stick these beasties outside in the outside brooder...tired of my living room smelling like ducks. They are lucky they are so darn cute, because they might be the grossest things ever.

 

[missnu01]

I would clean out the shavings when they start to look and or smell gross...might take a week, might take 2 days...chickens are easier to keep from smelling because they are dry...

 

[5LexingtonHens]

I have four chicks in a 36" x 31" brooder. I spot clean the areas where they poop once per day and plan on completely replacing the shavings once per week.

 

[Angierob]

I have been reading this forum and some say shavings and some use the word litter? whats that or are they the same
My chicks are week old and I put them in a huge tub like the one at Tractor Supply and probably too much pine shavings. I did not put anything under shavings.. dont smell them either. They been in there 2 days now. I plan to clean in a few days-how many inches of shavings?

 

[dermerchickens]

What is DE?

 

[dermerchickens]

1. How many chicks do you have? 16, Efowl threw in an extra one. Buff orpingtons

2. How big is your brooder? 2, 30 gallon plastic tubs, with a cut vinegar container as a tunnel to connect.

3. How often do you clean your brooder? Twice a day, Morning and Night. Unless it gets SUPER poopy and wet... They are 5 days old and super active...

There playrun is a big cardboard box half flattened, with about 3 inch sides.

 

[Angierob]

What is DE?

Me too what is DE?
what is litter? same as pine shavings?