Sand for brooder?

[Soleil_A]

Some questions: Where will the brooder be? In some climate controlled area or out where you have large temperature swings? How big will the brooder be? I know it is only 2 or 3 chicks but they will poop a lot. The bigger the brooder the less it builds up. At that time of year I'd expect the chicks to do great outside with no supplemental heat at 5 weeks of age but you might need to change out the bedding a time or two before you can move them to the coop. They will grow very fast.

No matter what bedding you use you need to keep it dry. Wet could come from spilled water. If the poop gets thick enough it will hold moisture. Think of bedding as a diaper. It absorbs moisture until it gets wet, then it needs to be changed. If it stays dry enough you probably won't have to change it. If it starts to smell it is not dry enough. You do not want a breeze hitting the chicks but good ventilation up high can help moisture to evaporate and help it stay dry longer.

the brooder will in my room for the first week and then they will move into the basement. i am trying to get as big as a brooder as i can, not sure what size yet.

 

[Soleil_A]

thank you all for your quick responses!

 

[Ridgerunner]

the brooder will in my room for the first week and then they will move into the basement. i am trying to get as big as a brooder as i can, not sure what size yet.

If the basement is heated you don't need to worry about the sand drawing heat away from the chicks. Sand should work well but so would wood shavings, wood chips, hay, straw, dried grass clippings, paper towels, shredded paper, and who knows what else as long as they are dry.

With only 2 or 3 you may be tempted to go pretty small. Resist that urge. Make it big enough so the chicks can get away from the heat and cool off if they need to. Plus you need room for food, water, and for them to play a little. That's why I don't like those magic numbers for how much square feet room a chick needs in a brooder. With just two or three your chicks will need a lot more square feet each than if you had 20 or 30 chicks. How much room they actually need will depend on how you provide heat, how old they will be when they come out, breed which affects size at that age, how you feed and water, and even sex. Males normally need more room than females even as chicks. They grow awfully fast, the older they are the more room they need. Just make it bigger than you think you need.

 

[aart]

I use sand/PDZ mix as bedding for indoor brooder.
Pros: easy to sift poops out(if you have the right sized sifter)
Cons: Poops + sand + chickie feet can = 'cement shoes'.
You will need to put feed and water on something solid for the first few days so they don't ingest too much sand, I use a tote lid with a couple 2x2 screwed underneath.