Newbie question -- do I take them out to change the paper towels?

[lceh]

Okay, dumb question -- my first chicks are expected next week and I'm getting my brooder all fixed up. So, when you need to change the paper towels or whatever you have them on, do you take the chicks out of the brooder or just try to work around them? I have a big Rubbermaid tote I could pop them into temporarily while I change the towels, but I'm afraid they might get kind of cold by the time I've captured all 20 and transferred them, especially if I have to do it more than once a day! What do you all do?

 

[kelseygirl707]

I take all 22 of mine out and put them in a cardboard box, do a quick clean and put them all back in the brooder.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Quote:
Same here.

 

[chickie momma di]

You can do either. It would be fine to take them out (probably eaiser too) as long as it isn't too long. you will know when they are getting chilled cause they will huddle together close. You could also temp set your light over the tote. ti's my opinion that the more you handel them the less freaked out they'll be when you need to do your cleaning.

Good luck

 

[skav2407]

I take mine out one by one and put them into a cardboard box. As I take each one out I check their bottoms for pasty butt.

 

[eggchel]

You can do it either way. They will move out of the way while you are changing the paper towels.

chel

 

[nikki24]

I am gettin my first chicks tomorrow and I planned to put them in a tote when I cleaned the brooder but I was under the impression that I'd only be cleaning it once a week MAYBE twice.Am I wrong? Is it a daily thing???

 

[sherrydeanne]

Quote:
I got away with doing it twice a week once they were on pine shavings, but I only had a few in a huge brooder. If you're getting 25 or something, you'll need to change it a lot. When they're on paper towels, 25 chicks will make a HUGE mess in no time.

 

[smokeater413]

For the first couple of weeks we used brown butcher paper and just added a layer as needed and once a week pulled it all out and started again until they were big enough for pine shavings. This worked well for us.

We found that the butcher paper worked better than paper towels, and the chicks just moved out of the way when we replaced the paper.

 

[lceh]

Based on the methods of a couple of BYCers I've put 1/4" hardware cloth on the bottom of the brooder and covered it with shelf liner. For the first week or so I may put something over that, we'll see. Then, apparently, I can just wash off the liner and put it back. (The shelf liner says it's machine washable, but I think DH would balk at my putting poopy liners in the washer -- but then I used to wash cloth diapers, how bad can it be?

)

Smokeater413, was the butcher paper less slippery than newspaper? I keep hearing that newspaper can cause spraddle leg.