How to use cedar chips in the brooder?

[Smartie_Pants]

I may be getting some ducklings and/or chicks tomorrow, and I need to find a way to make my brooder easy to clean, and as smell free as possible. (Mom's getting REALLY tired of the smells.) I was thinking with cedar chips I could scoop out the poop clumps easily with a litter scoop or something, and them getting stirred up so much would keep the smell down.

Do I just use the regular chips like people use in hampster cages? I know they have the big packages at Rural King and some smaller ones at WalMart. Anything I need to know about what NOT to get? Do I need to worry about them being a fire hazard with the heat lamp?

 

[1lpoock]

I always heard you are not supposed to use cedar chips for ducklings or chicks...

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I know you can't use pine chips, but I think cedar are safe.

 

[acdoc]

Quote:
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[chickenlittle32]

I thought I read somewhere that cedar chips are dangerous for ducks and chicks. Pine wood chips is what most use and its best to get the bigger chips so that they don't try to eat it.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Yeah, I just realized I got it backward.

I've had a rough day.

Okay, so how do I use PINE chips in the brooder, and where do I get them?

 

[chickenannie]

I think I heard that cedar is toxic to chickens.

 

[acdoc]

well pine is all I have ever used mine arnt sick just a little crazy

 

[acdoc]

you should be able to get pine shavings at any feed store

 

[ranchhand]

Tractor Supply has "wood chips". They have worked for me just fine. Just no cedar, the aromatic oils are sometime hard on the babies.

I like to layer a bunch of paper towels on the wood chips for the first 5-6 days- teaches them to get a grip with their feet, and just remove 1 layer per day.