I'm afraid to take away the paper towels !!!

[chickenriot]

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Thanks for the confidence builder ! I appreciate it.

 

[chickenriot]

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Yeah, that's one thing I'm concerned about. I think I'm going to set their feeders and waterers on 2x4's like someone suggested . Maybe the feeders,etc. will be a little cleaner.

Thank you for your help.

 

[pkw]

I have always used pine shavings from the start. My chicks always love to kick it up and scratch through it and they are always eating their feed so I know mine isn't eating all their pine shavings..

 

[chickenriot]

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I guess I just worry too much.

Maybe by the time they're a little older I'll be more relaxed. Thanks !

 

[4theloveofhens]

I was using left over puppy pads until I too just switched to pine shavings today. Yes they fling them into their water and sometimes out the brooder, but I think they can appreciate being able to "dig" to the newspaper I have underneath. I only have a couple of inches of shavings though...

 

[chickenriot]

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I just finished taking the paper towels out of the barred rock pen and adding a layer of the shavings for them It sure smells better !

 

[SilkieTime]

I put the waters in a ash tray. or on a slap of rock, it works. I have very small chicks ( silkies ).

 

[chickenriot]

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I have 9 silkies myself . I already have the barred rocks on shavings but thought I would wait until the silkies are 2 weeks old before I change them over. We're going to have to move them into a bigger box by then anyway, so this will give them a little more growing time. I have one that is smaller than the other silkies and it's easier for me to kind of monitor her on the paper towels right now.

Thanks for your input !

 

[Downshifting]

I switched my week-old crew from their small brooder using paper towels into a bigger brooder with Equine Pine and Aspen shavings. I used Aspen simply because I already had a big bag that I use for the guinea pigs. It's been a blessing not having to change the bedding in the brooder twice daily! Plus a lot less muck gets into the waterer. I elevated their water a little by setting it on top of a shallow bowl. I also intended to switch them to an elevated feeder, but when I put them in there with that big scary thing swinging around, they wouldn't have anything to do with it! I put it on the floor of the brooder and will try elevating it in a couple of days after they are used to eating out of it. Silly chicks!

 

[Penturner]

I have my chicks on pine shavings from the age of three days. they peck at it just like everything else. I have one bantam that for a while intentionally kicked shavings into the water dish then ate them. he is just fine. Bad things can happen in many many ways, but wood shavings are not any sort of certain death sentence. They can eat them and have no harm come to them. Toxic chips are another matter. I read that Cedar dust will harm them just from breathing.