shredded paper or pine straw for bedding?

[chickenchok]

I'm new, so please excuse me if this has been asked before, but is it ok to use shredded paper for new chicks' bedding? We have so much and I'd love to recycle it for this. Also, can I use pine straw from our forest?

Thank you!

 

[debilorrah]

I myself haven't tried either of those, but we did purchase and use a large bale of straw that only cost $5.00. They love to throw it out of the brooder and make a mess

 

[Chirpy]

Don't use paper - it's too slippery and can cause spraddle leg issues.

I personally don't like straw as bedding, but some people love it. It can harbor mites and other little buggies in the hollow stems. Plus, when it gets wet or poopy it gets bogged down and is hard to keep clean and smell free.

My favorite bedding is pine shavings. It's easy to clean, doesn't smell bad (especially if sprinkled with DE) and the chicks can 'bathe' in it.

 

[hippiehen]

Quote:
Plus it's cheap and it smells mountain fresh.

 

[debilorrah]

What about in the coop? We have straw in there now and they seem to love it. They crush it up pretty fine and bath in it, and the dirt too. I was wondering if it is ok for outside? The babies so far have smashed in pretty good too and they throw it all over.

 

[duxtrail]

what is DE?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Shredded paper mixed with pine shavings might work pretty well. By itself it tends to mat down fairly quick and would then become a manure covered mess.

Pine straw is not very absorbent. I don't think it would make a good brooder bedding though I do like it a lot for nest box litter and for mulch.

 

[IWantchickens20]

I myself haven't tried either of those, but we did purchase and use a large bale of straw that only cost $5.00. They love to throw it out of the brooder and make a mess

rofl I found that out rofl

 

[RonC]

what is DE?

Use food grade Diatomaceous Earth. It's available at TSC and most feed stores. You can sprinkle it in the bedding,and in the run for them to dustbathe. A natural product to kill bugs.

 

[Sheira66]

Please note: ..if you are using the deep litter method you will not want to use DE as it will kill a lot of the bugs that help break down the bedding....perhaps only put it in the nesting areas for control of mites.