How often...

[chickmama320]

Should I be cleaning out the brooder? I think that I need to clean it out and just start all over with it. They split the water yesterday so I had to pull out a bunch of the pine shavings since they were wet. Then last night they scratched a ton of the food out of the feeder and it is laying on top of the bedding now. I think that when I clean it out I am going to put a paper towel under the food so that way when they throw it all over the place I can just pick up the paper towel.

 

[AnKa]

2x a day - Mine are on newspaper that I just roll up and toss.

 

[purecountrychicken]

I cleaned mine out once a day and used wood shavings.

 

[Crazy_For_Chickens]

It depends on how big it is. So you see I have a really big brooder, so I jut clean it out 1 time every 2 days and they seem fine. I would clean it whenever it feels a little moist.

 

[mightieskeeper]

I clean my brooder out once day but I use paper towel.

 

[98 gt]

My chicks are super clean... They poop on one side of the brooder only. I clean it every 2 days. The fool and water dispensers are on an old rubbermaid container top... So the shavings don't get wet, and they clean up spilled food.

 

[dave_Cash69]

Quote:
agreed

 

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

When the 26 chicks arrived and were placed in the large brooder, I started with a blotting paper and rubber mesh liner over it. After day two, I removed the liner and threw it in the wash. Then I changed the blotting paper on day 3 and 4. Decided to try the chick starter deep litter method. I modified a kitty litter scoop with a section of mesh liner taped in it so it is kind of like cleaning horse stalls - just sift through the bedding AM and PM. With the feed and water raised up this works quite nicely.

The other smaller brooder has ducklings in it so the deep litter made a mess and started to stink - so I went back to the blotting paper with a bit of starter on the floor. I will change the paper daily. There are 7 chicks and two ducklings in this brooder.

 

[briteday]

Our brooder is about 4' x 4' x 4' with 10 one-week old chicks.

I put down a puppy pad type thing ( get them cheaper in the health section in Walmart with the incontinence supplies) absorbant side up, then a layer of paper towel, and a light layer of bedding on top of that. The food container is in a pie pan (to catch all that is thrown from the feeder) and the water is on a small block (so bedding doesn't go in the water). The heat lamp (sleeping area) is on the opposite corner of the box from the food and water.

We check the food/ water / brooder temperature several times each day. If there is any major water spillage or other messes...clean up right away. Otherwise we change out the bedding (simply pick up the ends of the paper towels, roll it up, throw away) once per day. While the bedding is being changed we also wash the feeder and waterer with hot soapy water and re-fill. With the little ones we don't fill the feeder jar all the way, just put enough in the tray for a day or two.

And when we are moving the chicks back and forth from the brooder for cleaning, it's a great time to check for pasty butts or any other little things going on with them. Although I have to say, this is the first time we have raised chicks for a very long time, and it's been like having an aquarium in the house. We're all finding ourselves just pulling up a chair and watching them for hours sometimes! So not much is going unnoticed. We already know who the bullies are, who is prissy about preening, who gets the best spot at the feeder, etc!!!

Unless you have a lot of birds in a very small brooder, cleaning once per day is probably sufficient. Just be sure you have a handy supply of the bedding of your choice, and keep the waterer and feeder extra clean. We also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to the brooder. Anyone who touches chicks must sanitize before and after touching. Much easier to keep handy by the brooder than soap and water.

 

[chickmama320]

So it looks like I have some cleaning to do lol. Is it okay to put news paper underneath the pine bedding so that was it is easier to pick up rather than scooping it out with my hands?

It is a large dog crate (meant for my cocker spaniel but often used for the 55lb pit when traveling) and I have four little chickies in it.