Pine Shavings Question

[City girl Philly]

Hello! My 4 chicks are in the brooder now with paper towels and a non-slip shelf liner on the bottom . I got the chicks on Saturday and they are a week old. When should I make the switch to pine shavings? Or should it be gradually?

 

[ChickenGirl555]

You could switch right now. I even gave them shavings right when I got mine. They can have them even when they are a day old. You can just go ahead and switch, they'll enjoy something new to explore anyways.

 

[City girl Philly]

Thank you Chickengirl555!! I have read so much about "spraddle leg" so I just want to make sure I don't unintentionally harm my babies!

 

[LittleMissCountry]

I started mine with pine shavings. They did great with them.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I, personally, use shavings from day 1.

 

[bruceha2000]

When I raised my first batch in the bathtub with a heat lamp they were on newspaper with shavings for 3+ weeks before going out to the coop. The last 2 batches started in a cardboard box with paper towels and Mama Heating Pad cave for a couple of days, then went out to the brooder space in the coop on shavings. The first batch went under a broody hen. The second had their MHP cave because the broody hen didn't cooperate with my chick ship schedule. I'm getting 6 more next week and I expect they will be fully MHP raised as well.

 

[FullHouseMama]

I started with them right away. White bag from TSC.