Paper towels - how long??

[mcf3kids]

Today is the 3rd day I have had my 24 little chicks and I am wondering how long I keep them on paper towels and when I can switch over to pine chips in the brooder? The paper towels get nasty really fast with 24 of them in there. I am hoping that when I change over to chips I can change it out 100% once a day. Is this realistic? The brooder is huge 3 ft wide x 6 ft long. Thanks.

 

[hennyannie]

I think if they are eating from the feeder okay you will be fine and you would stay cleaner longer.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

You can take the paper towels out right now if you want to. In fact I have never used them in my brooders. Straight onto shavings from the incubator or the hatchery box.

 

[mcf3kids]

Would you recommend just changing over completely or transitioning with the chips underneath the paper towels? They are eating really well and are venturing around their big home.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Change over completely is what I would do.

 

[mcf3kids]

Thanks AT

 

[youngjedi32002]

A.T. Hagan :

You can take the paper towels out right now if you want to. In fact I have never used them in my brooders. Straight onto shavings from the incubator or the hatchery box.

I never used paper towels either. But I did make them a little nest out of old, clean socks very close to the food and water. They didn't get up much the first 48 hours and it kept them warm and toasty! I left it there for about a week, sprinkling shavings on it if it got messy, then they were fine! They were too busy, after a week, to miss it!​

 

[mcf3kids]

How cute to have a little sock nest! I'm going to change them over today then - with shavings will I be able to change it out once a day?

 

[Judy]

I never changed them all daily. I let my nose tell me. Sometimes I just added shavings, sometimes I removed the worst clumps first, sometimes i dumped the whole thing and put in fresh. I like a large brooder, like yours, as the shavings last longer, and it's easy to divide off half of it and remove shavings without having to take all the chicks out for cleaning.

 

[mcf3kids]

I'm liking this shavings thing more and more! I know they are only 5 days old but so far their poop is pretty much smell free its just messy with so many of them in there. I know the smell will come - lol - but for now it is all good!