Potting Soil for Brooder

[mrsengeseth]

This sounds like a good idea to me as long as the soil hasn't been chemically treated. Hmmmmm, ideas, ideas....

 

[tdgill]

shredded newspaper probably is just easier to eat. hahhaha

 

[edmcm2000]

SAND? I live in a desert area with a dry (usually) wash on the property. The sand has a nice range of sizes to it. I'd love to use it, but the chicks seem to just start eating it like crazy. I'm sure it's good grit for them, but they only get chick starter and some occasional watermelon, so won't eating all that sand be bad for them???? Thanks, Ed

 

[Hecate]

Sadly, this time around in brooding chicks, I couldn't find the same potting soil I had gotten last year. Seems that everything I come across has some sort of fertilizer in it. Ugh. So we went with woods chips from a maple tree we had to have limbed up. So far, the chicks seems happy as can be scratching around and sleeping on them, and there are no bits they can swallow!

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Peat moss due to it's low PH has a antibacterial and antifungal qualities, I agree, it makes excellent bedding

Try to wet it down (not easy if you have a big batch) and then let it dry up.

From my plants growing experience there should be no more dust after this treatment.

 

[Andora]

My ducklings LOVE soil. I thought about trying it with the chicks too but haven't yet. Maybe I will!

Don't chickens produce dust anyway, regardless of bedding? My chicks have coated my entire backroom with a thick layer of dust. Next batch I did in my garage, and now everything in there is coated with dust. They are just naturally dusty, from the feather shafts. I don't think there is any way to avoid it unfortunately.