Sand for brooder?

[Soleil_A]

Hi chicken lovers!

I am planning on getting two or three chicks in april. i live in michigan so would that be a good time to get them? (it’s my first time with chicks as you can see) Also, could i use sand for bedding in the brooder?

Thank you!

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Not only sand and make sure it's not play sand it's to fine get the bigger kind

 

[AllenK RGV]

Hi chicken lovers!

I am planning on getting two or three chicks in april. i live in michigan so would that be a good time to get them? (it’s my first time with chicks as you can see) Also, could i use sand for bedding in the brooder?

Thank you!

Personally living that far north I wouldn't feel comfortable with sand(my opinion only) as it will conduct heat away from the chicks faster than a mulch or pine shaving medium. That is only what my head tells me and it may be a completely acceptable medium I don't know.

 

[BantyChooks]

Indoor brooder? Yes, it works well and the chicks like having something to scratch around in.

April is a decent time to get chicks, I prefer earlier because then they start lay before winter. I live in a climate colder than yours, so it's possible. I have had chicks in January before, but I'll admit hatching that early was a huge headache. I think setting around Valentine's day is good; that gives them about a month to incubate, a month to be in the house, and then they go outside mid-April. Maybe with a heating pad run out there, it depends on whether the chicks seem cold in below freezing weather.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

I got chicks in march and then hatched in April

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I personally (my opinion) prefer the wood shavings since they are easy to clean out. But then again, I don't have any experience with sand. But I do have lots of experience with the cold, since you're in my neighboring state! I think getting them in April is fine, as long as you know the temperature to age ratio. By the time they need to be in a coop it should be plenty warm and they should be feathered out enough.

 

[birdmanmax]

I have used sand on a few occasions but I find it much harder to clean up and it doesn’t absorb very well water either filters to the bottom or sits on top where chicks can get dirty and wet. I prefer shavings they soak up water well and are very easy to dispose of. As for April that’s a great time to get chicks I live in Michigan too and start to get chicks around March/April.

 

[Ridgerunner]

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.

 

[chickens really]

Chicks I raise I use sand. Momma raised I use Pine Shavings..
Best of luck with the Chicks.

 

[sroy]

I've used sand and it worked well. But I kinda felt bad for the little babies laying in sand. They already don't have a momma. Now they are face down in sand, did't look to comfy to me. The pine shaving look a lot more comfortable to "nest" in.