Newspaper for brooder floor

[Fred's Hens]

I prefer the slightly larger chip from TSC or any feed/country/farm store. Cheaper, by far, than the small "pet" packages at generic stores.
I use them from day one. The more "sawdust" type, finely ground stuff is too confusing to them and having the chicks eat the powdery stuff is a risk. Won't kill them, per se, but it obviously lacks any nutrients and fills them with raw fiber. Chicks under broody hens, in the natural, have straw, or pine needles; nothing fancy.

 

[spiritdance]

I have used shredded newspaper on occasion. It's absorbent and doesn't pose the problem for legs. However, I only do it in a pinch because the newspaper gets soggy much quicker than pine and can develop an odor when it's wet. I just find it harder to clean up than pine, and pine is not all that expensive if you buy it at TSC. BTW, newspaper ink is soy based, so don't believe the urban myth that it's toxic. And the newspaper composts faster than wood, so if the cleaning issue is no big for you - not many chicks, etc. - then it could definitely be a cost effective and environmentally responsible option, as long as you shred it ...