Sand or Wood Shavings in brooder

[Akane]

The cleaning and reuse is what initially got me interested in trying sand. I've used it for gerbils and just sifted it several times, an aquarium net works, and then washed when it got too dirty. Potentially it's an unlimited bedding source. However I found I had to sift it constantly to keep it looking clean and to keep my chicks clean where the shavings I rarely clean more often than a week and sometimes I move the chicks to a bigger brooder before I ever have to clean it. Then I just clean for the next batch and so on down the line. Sand I was sifting daily and it still looked pretty bad.

 

[Eggie and Me]

Ok now I'm really confused??

I've been readying Keep Chickens by Barbara Kilarski and on page 79 it says "Do not use cedar shavings before that first month" Ingested wood shavings could block up digestive system causing pasting up... It goes on to recommend rags specifically old socks.. Being careful of any loose threads... We're suppose to be getting our new babies this week

and we're still debating which to use??

 

[Akane]

Do not use cedar shavings anyway. They are toxic. Most keep them on pine shavings or pine pellets. If the chicks don't know what their food is they may try to eat pine shavings and they might end up ingesting too much. Once they know what food is it seems rare that they eat too much pine shavings. That's why you lay paper towels down first until they are eating from the feeder and then just remove a couple paper towels at a time until they are used to the shavings. Like I said some don't bother though. They just stick the chicks on shavings right away and rarely have problems. It is easier though to get them to eat by sprinkling food on the paper towels and tapping it rather than directing them to the feeder. They naturally want to peck the odd colored specks on the white paper towels.

 

[cockadoodle]

Trust that book. Although, good socks are even harder to come by around here than most of my other options, it's all good.


I used potting soil for a week, no prob... people use cedar in closets where they want to keep out bugs, moths, etc... they hate it, so do the chicks. You almost can't go wrong unless you pick a bedding that happens to be used for pest control

(no cedar)

Pine is good. Sand is ok. Wood pellets are awesome *just my opinion)

 

[tankernav1]

Mark---I use those wood pellets in my horse stalls and love them. However I have to buy them at $7 a bag here in Illinois. At least I have no idea where to get them in bulk. I will have to look into that. I guess I just worried that if they ingested it, and it expanded, it would hurt them. I don't use them in my goat stalls for that reason. Maybe I'm just being too cautious.

 

[cockadoodle]

Good point about them eating the pellets, I'll have to keep an eye out for that. So far, they don't appear interested in it. I know they did eat a tiny bit of the pine shavings I had... maybe because it looks a lot more like their food, not sure. In any event, definitely something to look out for. Thanks!

~Mark

 

[ysandoz]

Quote:
I agree with the pellets, I have been using them and they don't eat them. They seem to stay clean and have no smell at all. I have used shavings when I raised baby ducks in the past and they did eat them often.

 

[ysandoz]

Quote:
I agree with the pellets, I have been using them and they don't eat them. They seem to stay clean and have no smell at all. I have used shavings when I raised baby ducks in the past and they did eat them often.

On another note, can anyone tell me when I should put the chicks on feed other than chick starter and also when do I need to add grit?

 

[cockadoodle]

Hi Ysandoz,
It really depends on the starter you are using. I started mine on manapro (comes in 5lb bags) and I believe the instructions said 8 weeks, but don't quote me on that... I was going through the 5 pounders too fast, and switched to 50 lb bags of starter from nutrena, they both have nearly identical ingredients and ratios of protein, etc, just made sense to buy in bulk. According to the tag, I feed this until they are 6 weeks old. In both cases I used medicated.. anyways, check the tag or the bag, it should say.

You can add parakeet grit pretty much at anytime, I started using it at 2 weeks. I have a bag of the larger granite grit but it's too big for now just sprinkle some on their food vs. giving them free choice access to it (at least that's what I've heard)...

Mark

 

[redbugs13]

I have used shavings before for chicks, this time around I am using shredded paper. We have a paper shredder at work and I brought home a bag. Its been working really well, I change it once a day, but it pretty much just rolls up into a ball, I throw it away and put new down. Its way less dusty than the shavings were, and keeps my house a bit cleaner.