Ideal Poultry and brooder question

[CountryFried]

Most important...I’m using a kiddie plastic pool for a brooder with a mama cave and 2’ chicken wire liner so my babies can’t jump out. Is it sufficient to put pine shavings down on the bottom and if so how thick? If not, what should I use on the bottom for litter? Don’t want to mess up their legs!

Second, when does Ideal ship? My hatch date was yesterday, the 6th. Would they have shipped yesterday? (Trying to figure out when to expect the 0530 phone call to go get our babies!!!)

 

[diamondsilkies]

Pine shavings should work well. That's what I use. Most wood chips are okay, except for cedar. The oils in it can hurt their respiratory systems. I usually put my shavings about one inch thick when they're really little. When they start to get older and more adventurous, I'll put about two inches just because they LOVE scratching around in it! (Makes quite a mess of their water though)

I don't know anything about Ideal hatchery, but based off my experience with other hatcheries, I'd say they should be there within the next few days. Good luck with your new babies! (And I'm sure I'm not the only one that would love to see pictures if you have time )

 

[Jpat]

I wait a week before using pine shavings because they slip and slide under their feet, Can cause problems very easily

And ive heard horror stories of babies eating bedding and dieing

Use towels or blankets and make sure there arent loose strings

 

[Jpat]

But if theyre coming a few days old theyd probably be fine anyway

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Good luck with your new fuzz babies!
Waiting for them is the hardest part!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I used pine shavings for the first two weeks, important is that you fill in a really thick layer so the shavings wont slip between the ducklings foot and the plastic surface. I wrote an article about how i raised this year's Spring ducklings, maybe you find some ideas and there is a discussion thread with lot's of pictures and videos that may help to shorten the waiting time for your fluff-balls.
From this year's experience, i would use wood-shavings only for the first week and then switch to straw. Ducklings do make a mess and the wood shavings bake together with poop, water and trashed food and start to ferment within a few hours. Straw stays much less dense and allows much of the water to evaporate.
If you mean Ideal-Poultry from Texas, mine and @Magnolia Ducks experiences were good. Their ducklings are smaller than those from other hatcheries (Metzer) but very active and healthy. And Ideal shipped my ducklings on the day they hatched.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I use shavings but I put rubber shelf liner on top of the shavings for the first few days. It has grip for their feet and keeps them dry from their water spills.

 

[TashaFrancois]

Most important...I’m using a kiddie plastic pool for a brooder with a mama cave and 2’ chicken wire liner so my babies can’t jump out. Is it sufficient to put pine shavings down on the bottom and if so how thick? If not, what should I use on the bottom for litter? Don’t want to mess up their legs!

Second, when does Ideal ship? My hatch date was yesterday, the 6th. Would they have shipped yesterday? (Trying to figure out when to expect the 0530 phone call to go get our babies!!!)

They ship 2 only on Wednesday

 

[CountryFried]

Pine shavings should work well. That's what I use. Most wood chips are okay, except for cedar. The oils in it can hurt their respiratory systems. I usually put my shavings about one inch thick when they're really little. When they start to get older and more adventurous, I'll put about two inches just because they LOVE scratching around in it! (Makes quite a mess of their water though)

I don't know anything about Ideal hatchery, but based off my experience with other hatcheries, I'd say they should be there within the next few days. Good luck with your new babies! (And I'm sure I'm not the only one that would love to see pictures if you have time )

Awesome. I know cedar is bad but I wasn't sure about the pine slipping around on the pool floor. I brooded my previous chicks and goslings in a wood-floored box and also just in our big coop with a hover brooder, so they were on sand.

I wait a week before using pine shavings because they slip and slide under their feet, Can cause problems very easily

And ive heard horror stories of babies eating bedding and dieing

Use towels or blankets and make sure there arent loose strings

I was planning towels in a small brooder until I decided to add goslings to the order LOL. That brooder will be too small very fast so I switched to the pool. I may have some blankets that will work!

I used pine shavings for the first two weeks, important is that you fill in a really thick layer so the shavings wont slip between the ducklings foot and the plastic surface. I wrote an article about how i raised this year's Spring ducklings, maybe you find some ideas and there is a discussion thread with lot's of pictures and videos that may help to shorten the waiting time for your fluff-balls.
From this year's experience, i would use wood-shavings only for the first week and then switch to straw. Ducklings do make a mess and the wood shavings bake together with poop, water and trashed food and start to ferment within a few hours. Straw stays much less dense and allows much of the water to evaporate.
If you mean Ideal-Poultry from Texas, mine and @Magnolia Ducks experiences were good. Their ducklings are smaller than those from other hatcheries (Metzer) but very active and healthy. And Ideal shipped my ducklings on the day they hatched.

Your article is awesome, I've read it a couple of times! I'm actually having a heck of a time finding straw. I can get hay all over the place but straw is hours away from the searching I've done We've purchased about 140 birds from Ideal before and were very pleased with them, but it's been 7+ years and I can't remember when they ship. I just saw they're having website and phone problems today on their FB page, so I couldn't go read their FAQ to see if it said when they ship haha. I know I selected March 6 when I ordered, though!

I use shavings but I put rubber shelf liner on top of the shavings for the first few days. It has grip for their feet and keeps them dry from their water spills.

Perfect! I have tons of shelf liner!

 

[CountryFried]

I used pine shavings for the first two weeks, important is that you fill in a really thick layer so the shavings wont slip between the ducklings foot and the plastic surface. I wrote an article about how i raised this year's Spring ducklings, maybe you find some ideas and there is a discussion thread with lot's of pictures and videos that may help to shorten the waiting time for your fluff-balls.
From this year's experience, i would use wood-shavings only for the first week and then switch to straw. Ducklings do make a mess and the wood shavings bake together with poop, water and trashed food and start to ferment within a few hours. Straw stays much less dense and allows much of the water to evaporate.
If you mean Ideal-Poultry from Texas, mine and @Magnolia Ducks experiences were good. Their ducklings are smaller than those from other hatcheries (Metzer) but very active and healthy. And Ideal shipped my ducklings on the day they hatched.

Ha, just went to look up how to do the Mama Cave, and realized it was your article that prompted me to buy the wire shelf I bought! Off to make my cave!