Sorry if this is the wrong section for the question... I bought pine shavings last night for the brooder box that we keep in our spare room. Is this ok for us and the chicks? I don't want any of us to get sick.
Pine shavings are good to use. It's cedar shavings that can make chicks sick. Don't use cedar. Bluemoon
I would not use the shavings for at least a week or they may think it food. I had mine on paper towel for the first day and then switched to a puppy pee pad. I love those pads. Easy to change, traps moisture, and chicks won't slip. I used wood shavings after their first week. I stopped using puppy pads under the shavings at 2 weeks when the chicks started to scratch and tear up the cotton. Here is a discussion about pine shavings and possible effects on humans. See #14 https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=163331&p=2 Be sure your brooder has good ventilation. Also be sure the room the brooder is in has good ventilation. Enjoy your chicks!
I put newspaper down on top of the shavings,sprinkle their feed on the paper, after 2 days roll up the paper and your good to go. Will
Quote:Never use newspaper with day old chicks. It can cause spraddle leg. I alway's use papertowels or old shirts the first week and then switch to pineshavings.
My Dh bought some pine shavings for my brooder, but they were really more like sawdust! I didn't use them because that can get impacted in their crop. We went back and got Aspen, because they were the larger shavings. Mine are all doing fine. Of course, once in a while they're going to try a bite, but these shavings are way too large for them to eat, so they immediately spit them out. Shelly
You can use paper towels on top of the shavings for the first few days or week, it is not slippery like newspaper but works the same otherwise. Have fun, Pat
