Pine shavings are good????

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

I have literally watched my girls eat some of their shaving's and not a single problem.

 

[laughaha]

The youngest batch is from a school hatch from local eggs- I know the teacher and she started them on medicated feed from the second they were born. I really DON'T think it's cocci but have no problem treating for it just in case- what do I use to treat it- is there something special for 2 week old chicks or can I use amprolium (sp?)?

Sand is a great idea, I'll get some tomorrow- how do I clean it? I understand the kitty litter scoop but is there a way to actually clean/sterilize it (if it is cocci or some other disease).

 

[Camelot Farms]

Cocci requires SulMet

Make sure that you are also feeding them yogurt or something to reestablish the good bacteria in their gut.

It very much sounds like Cocci. I lost 29 out of 40 chicks in 24 hours last summer due to Cocci. The survivors looked horrid for weeks.

On the shavings, I have raised hundreds of chicks on them and never lost one due to that. Other options are good too, but just wanted to re-state the case for shavings being safe

Good luck with your peeps.

 

[Jeeper1540]

we have always used pine shavings, sometimes we mix pine and cedar shavings, but they have always done fine with it

 

[colowyo0809]

I can vouch for it probably not being the shavings. we have had ours on the shavings since we got them, and the feed store had them all on shavings when we bought them. The feed stores (I am assuming since this seems to be general practice) were both feeding the medicated feed, but we switched them to nonmedicated and just add kelp once a day to their feed and probiotic once a week. Haven't had a loss yet. Of course, they've now gone outside, so we will see if that keeps up, but I would agree with everyone that the shavings are not the problem.

 

[qtrappy]

can you use pine shavings with cedar in it in the nesting boxes and or the coop?

 

[theFox]

Quote:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1399190#p1399190

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I am another one saying it is NOT the shavings. My chicks are on shavings from day one. Yes, they pick at them and may eat the smaller pieces, but they have suffered no ill side effects.

Just a thought, are they all pine shavings with nothing extra added in? Could there be cedar shavings in it too?

 

[CluckCluck18]

Hi
It wasn't from the shavings, they probably had coccidiosis, an intestinal parasite that's common in chicks.Happened to me the first night I bought my chicks home. Bloody poop is the telltale sign and they get sick and die very quickly. You need to get Sulmet and put it in their water. Thankfully it works really fast. I had 2 out of 6 very sick. Lost one and saved one. The Sulmet kills both good and bad bacteria so after you treat them give them some probiotic powder in their food. I'm really sorry you lost your chicks...it's so sad. Hopefully this will help with your next batch. I'm always going to keep that stuff on hand, just in case.

 

[watersoflethe]

hey just to add that its probably not the shavings..
my chicks actually EAT the stuff..
i was worried at first but they seem fine.....

so sorry for your loss