Picking at shavings?

[SamanthaBrooke]

Hi, I have brooded babies before but have never brooded on shavings, always used stressed paper, the babies have been on shavings covered with paper towels for 3 days now and via hatchery instructions I have removed them but just like children these new shavings have caught their interest and they keep picking them up, I'm scared they'll ingest them. They know where their food and water is and are often at those locations, should I be worried about this shaving pecking?

I don't feed grit as my started has granite in it.

 

[Trefoil]

Eating the shavings will cause problems and may kill the chicks. I use puppy pads, but a lot of people use the rubberized shelf liner.

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Yes, I am certainly aware of the risk of them ingesting the shavings but know that the majority of people use them in te brooder, I am just trying to make sure I didn't take off the paper towels too soon.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

I kept mine on paper towels for three days. After that, just pine shavings. They picked and nibbled at them a lot but they quickly got over it. It's normal. Within a day or two, everyone had stopped. Now they just scratch and forage in it like little hens.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have raised chicks for years, all on pine shavings right from day one, never a problem. Yes, they will play with them for a while because they are curious. If you are very concerned you can switch to larger, flake shavings that are too big to be eaten.

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Thanks you two, I am using those giant flake shavings I was just concerned they would break pieces off, they are doing great this morning though, all happy and not so crazy over the shavings! I'm a little neurotic, I got up 2x to check on them in the night because their heat cm kept changing because of outside dropping temps turned, finally have it stabilized.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Your not neurotic and if you are then many of the rest of us are too!

I've raised a fair number of chicks but many times I will still get up and check on very new babies the first night or two and for the same reason, just to make sure the heat lamp is working properly and the temp is right. And those big flake shavings make great toys, mine like to pick one up and take off running, peeping like mad, while the others give chase, great fun! Enjoy your babies!