Oh, my!

[kesali]

My four day old chicks peck, tear, and rip through the paper toweling on the bottom of their brooder so they can eat the wood flakes underneath. Only toweling was used the first two days, then I added the flakes under the paper toweling the last two days. I have two feeders for them (15 chicks) and they all eat out of them. Am I going to have to get rid of the wood chips and just use the toweling? Sooner or later, I am going go to have to go to the chips. Did I put them in too soon?

 

[Baymule]

Take the chips out. Put newspaper on the bottom and cover with the paper towels. That is what I did with mine.

 

[Qi Chicken]

Everyone has a different opinion on this but many people say to wait one week before adding shavings. Since they do seem to be eating them more than your average bird I would take them out and re-introduce them in 4 or 5 days. You don't want them to get an impacted crop this early in the game. Watch them closely though too. They might just be scratching, biting and picking at them and not really eating them. Good luck! The baby stage will be over before you know it!

 

[CowgirlPenny]

I waited 5 days to remove the paper towels. They are going to peck and dig and put the bedding in their mouth, but they probably aren't actually eating much if any. I replaced paper towels atleast 5 times a day those first 5 days, it got old quick! lol

 

[kesali]

Thanks all for the help! I guess I will play it safe and remove the wood shavings for a few more days. You are right, CowgirlPenny! I change the paper toweling a minimum of four times and day and it already is getting old. I find them much more amusing than I thought I would! They are soooo clumsy at this age. They fall over, bump into another and knock it over, sometimes getting back up is a real chore. I was having trouble keeping the temp at 95F. I read somewhere on BYC that the thermometer should be as high as the backs of the chicks. So I attached it to a 2x4 and laid it flat on the brooder floor. When I came back to check the temp, a group of them was sitting on the thermometer and the reading was way off! The one on the end would give a push and the one on the other end would fall off. This would start a commotion as she tried to get back on and two more would get knocked off. It was hilarious!

 

[mrchicken]

paper towel could lead to Splayed Leg.
USE IT ONLY UNDER THE SHAVINGS!!!

 

[ragerkid2]

I dont use paper towels. I get mine from stores and I figured if they are t in paper towels in the stored they don't need to be in them here. None of them have pasted up.

 

[CCourson05]

I use paper towels for the first week. After that, I switch to pine shavings... They love the transition... One will pick a shaving up and run around thinking it has something to eat.

The other chicks chase it around until the other figures out it isn't food and drops it and they all lose interest then... Silly chickens!

 

[kickenChickens]

Quote:
I assume you ment newspaper can lead to splayed leg.... right?

 

[kickenChickens]

Remove the shavings till they're about a week just to be safe!