Shavings in brooder - how do you keep them out of the water?!

[the simple life]

Quote:
how come you used towels for the first 10 days. I aint saying you shouldnt, I am new to this, are we not supposed to use shavings at first?

I use those puppy training pads,with the plastic backing over an inch or two of shavings in my brooder.
I like that they don't leak through if the waterer leaks or whatever and they get the comfort of the shavings underneath.
When it gets dirty I just replace it but leave the shavings.
After a couple of weeks I stop using the pads altogether.
I heard they will eat the shavings if you use them right after hatch, they say you have to let them get use to what their food is first.

 

[Shogun99]

I think as long as you use something that isn't slippery and is in one piece for the most part...wobblies won't occur in near the same proportion.

I have a Japanese Bantam though thats been walking bo-legged since he hatched 2 weeks ago and I thought that I've been doing everything right. He just walks around like a cowboy who's spent a bit too much time on a Kliesdale Horse (sp?).

 

[KellyHM]

Clydesdale

 

[SandraMort]

LOL!!! I thought I was the only one using wee wee pads!

Love the cowboy image, btw.

 

[cjstanman]

When mine were little (and started to make a huge mess, ha ha!) I got a small chunk of 2x4 from our wood scrap pile. I put one under the waterer, which was the Mason jar + red plastic thing you screw it into. Same for the food. Just have to make sure they are tall enough to reach in there.

Once they were sturdy on their legs, I removed the paper towels and they had no problem. I think that was after a few days, it wasn't long. And I had an empty paper box from work (like a Staples box that holds many reams of paper). I'd put them in there, dump the shavings/poop onto my compost pile outside, refill, put the water/food back in, and plop them back in. Gave them something new to look at (cardboard box, lol) and got them used to me handling them.

Seemed to work!