Pine shaving party

[kingsdaughter]

So far Ive been using napkins, paper towels, and newspaper, but I have pineshavings underneath. Every so often one of my wiley chicks finds a way to the pine shavings. Then look out, its a pine shavings party. Everyone shows up and there is this frensy to get all the pine shavings you can. I start stressing, no, no, you'll all get impacted crops. Stop......!!!

They are one week old today.

Is it ok to let them onto the shavings yet?

Have any of you lost chicks to this madness?

 

[justusnak]

At one week old, they know where the food is, and what it is...so yes, they can go directly on the pine shaveings now. They are fun to watch....first time on it too! Enjoy!

 

[jag]

I took my paper towels out after two days. They love the pine shavings. I've seen them eat a pc. or two of pine shaving at first, but I think that was more because one girl found it and though she struck gold and the others chased her down for it and gobbled it up before they realized what it was.
They definitely seem to know the difference between that and their food.
They love to dig in it and nestle down in it to sleep.

 

[panner123]

Never had a problem with pine or cedar shaveings when I have had to use a brooder. The worst part is the clean up once they start running around using their wings for speed. Yes, I keep an open wire cage in my computer room as a brooder. Chips all over everything. I try my best to let the hens do all the care taking of the chicks. Always seems to work out OK, mother hen knows more of what to do than I do. But at times I have to step in and help a little. Actully my dog and cat does most of the watching of the peeps in the cage, they let me know when something is wrong with a peep, espeacially around 2 or 3 am.

 

[kingsdaughter]

Thanks everyone. I made the switch. They are doing just what you said, scratching and nesting, and lots of picking in it. I cant tell if their eating it or not, no large pieces anyway. Plus their all alive still and seem happy.

Now as for cleaning Im not sure what Ill do. All my stuff stays in the broooder, but I havent come up with a good cleaning method. Once they start to fly, like everyone says, I think Im gonna be in trouble. I dont know how you keep 24 chicks in one spot while you open the brooder and try to clean litter. AHHHHH

 

[chicksnducks]

Can someone tell me how you keep the pine shavings out of the water!!!!Everytime I check on them the waterer is full of pine shavings and no one can drink. I am worried about what will happen when I go to work tomorrow...any ideas????
still a newby at this chicken thing!!! but loving it!

 

[PurpleChicken]

My chicks (8 to 25 days old) love their pine. It looks like they are eating it when they pick but they don't swallow any. I had 4 chicks in a brooder when I was 10 and boy did they smell. Today, 25 years later, I have 9 chicks in pine and no odor at all.

As for the water dish, my chicks load it with pine pretty quick. I just change it twice a day. No probems so far. Once they move out of their 36 x 18 inch brooder into their 54 x 32 inch brooder I plan on elevating the water an inch or two to keep the pine(and poopy) out.

I'm a newbie too but spend hours on this board reading what all the pros write.

Don

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:

My little monsters thought they died and went to Heaven when I removed the paper towels. I don't think the dustbathing and scratching has stopped since then!!
As far as kicking shavings in the water, you can TRY to keep it cleaner by raising the water as they grow. Keep the water at their back level by putting it on bricks, block, whatever. I say "try" because they will always manage to dirty the water up!

But like PurpleChicken said, change their water several times a day and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[chickenmomva]

to do a quick clean up...............put newspaper down in the brooder box first then whatever you use for bedding ...........when time to change I get a big 5 gallon bucket sit it next to the box..........take the food and water out roll the newspaper up in the box.........they love that the chicks usually dont want to get off the paper.........then i put that in the bucket..........put new paper down and return the food and water..........I go dump the yucky stuff put new bedding in the bucket and put it in around the food and water...........then the babies go crazy..............I never have to take them out..........sometimes we do the kids think its great.......too much poo to clean up though.........I can change the box in a few minutes that way.....

 

[2mnypets]

I'm probably a little insane, but when it comes time to change the brooder box, I let the lil ones run around on a piece of carpet that I have laid down on the family room floor. My Newfies all lay down and make a make-shift pen or enclosure for the lil ones. Of course the chicks love it because they can go a snuggle in all that fur. 3 of my 4 dogs are females so the natural tendancy to nurture is already there.

I have no solution for the bedding in the water. That just seems to be one of the drawbacks of owning chickens. It's one of those things that you just accept as the norm and know that you have to clean it out frequently. No matter how high you place the waterer, they will still manage to either put the bedding in it or defecate in it. This is the time you just shake your head, question your sanity just loud enough for you to hear it and dump the shavings in the trash can and clean it out

The drawbacks are so small compared to the enjoyment and satisfaction that one gets from these special creatures, that it's something that most of us don't really concern ourselves about. It's like changing our kids diapers when they were small. Actually, I'd rather dump shavings in the trashcan than change those dirty diapers anyday

Best of luck to you!