poop on feet...any problems? Best bedding for chicks?

[muell112]

I have week old chicks in a 4X2' wooden box - for bedding I have newspaper under mesh so their feet don't slip. Some are getting poop stuck on their feet and I've been washing them off in the sink. Has anyone had any problems with feet getting infected or are they pretty tough? What is the best bedding to use? thanks!

 

[Chicky Tocks]

The best bedding by far is pine chips. Second to that is sand because you can poop scoop it with a litter scoop. I ran out of chips tonight and the bedding seriously needed a changing so I used fresh wheat straw. It's the last thing I would use and only in the emergency situation like I just had. I'll run out and get some more shavings tomorrow.

 

[chickenannie]

Their little feet and leg combo is made perfectly for wading through mud, poop, cow patties etc. I would keep the cage relatively clean, but you don't need to wash their feet when they get dirty. My big fluffy (clean-feathered) hens look so happy when they walk by on a muddy day with mud soaked toes and mud halfway up their legs, searching in the mud puddles for worms (they free range around the farm). I marvel at how the mud never gets up to their bellies or their feathers.