poopy feet

[llcardinale]

Ever since I added bedding (--used only puppy pads and paper towels for the first 10 days) my chicks feet are covered in poop within an hour after cleaning their feet and the brooder. They seem to have been able to avoid the poop better, and I was better able to see it and clean it up, without the bedding (Aspen wood shavings). Everyone seems to use bedding, and the chicks seem to love it, but...What are other folks doing that seems to work, and that I am missing, or is everyone washing feet daily?

 

[DobieLover]

No one's washing feet. Chickens walk in their poop all day, everyday. Just keep their environment as dry as possible and it will dry up quickly. Having some dried poop on their feet is not going to hurt them.

 

[50-45-1]

I have expierenced new chicks getting a buildup of hardened poop, mostly under their toenails.
To me it mostly cleared itself up by putting them outside in a ground pen during the day or getting a larger brooder. Are yours crouded?
How many chicks, and what size brooder?
Once they start scratching around in earnest, the problem goes away.

 

[llcardinale]

No one's washing feet. Chickens walk in their poop all day, everyday. Just keep their environment as dry as possible and it will dry up quickly. Having some dried poop on their feet is not going to hurt them.

Thank you for that reassurance.

 

[llcardinale]

I have expierenced new chicks getting a buildup of hardened poop, mostly under their toenails.
To me it mostly cleared itself up by putting them outside in a ground pen during the day or getting a larger brooder. Are yours crouded?
How many chicks, and what size brooder?
Once they start scratching around in earnest, the problem goes away.

Thank you for your response. My chicks are only two weeks old, so not ready for outside. I switched from 10 sf brooder to a 24 sf brooder after nine days. Five of them have fuzzy feet/legs, so it's more of a challenge, but the others get it as well, just not as badly.