PASTY BUTT from wood shavings.

[AnKa]

I put my 2-weekers on wood shavings and promptly my Speckled Sussex got all clogged up and I had to help her poop. There were woodchips in her poop. I put her back with the 1-weekers on newspaper and paper towels, and she seems fine now, but I wanted to post a word of warning.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I just use cozy'n'fresh pellets. No issues with anything there. They turn into very find saw dust when they break apart, which my chicks think is great for bathing in. Its easily distinguishable from their food and so they are never eaten.

Great stuff! i think everyone should use it.

 

[DawnSuiter]

I slowly introduce chicks to wood shavings.

First I cover the woodshavings completely with a dishtowel or the like for the first few days
Then around day 5 I rearrange the towels so that the very edge of the wood shavings are peeking out and little bits are all around the edges... they check them out for a couple of days, but there aren't alot.
2 more days and I remove the towels

so far so good.
there aren't any alternatives I can use...

 

[Akane]

They do need adjustment time for everything. Chicks will over eat anything new. Usually I lay down a layer of 2 or paper towels over pine shavings and once the chicks are eating well in a day or 2 I start removing paper towels. Bits of shavings will get shoved up over the edge of the towels and the area exposed will gradually increase. I leave the area just under the light and where their food dish is until last so they won't be sitting on the shavings all the time at first and they won't be picking food out of it until they are used to it.