Silly question about chick bedding

[shelleyd2008]

I was wondering if kitty litter would be ok as a bedding for chicks? I mean the non-scoopable, $3 a bag stuff at Walmart. I checked the ingredients, and it said 100% clay. Just curious, it would be much cheaper than wood chips!

 

[silkiechicken]

I'd be afraid of impacted crops from the clay and the dust from cheap cat litter. If they ate enough of the clay, it could solidify in their crops or intestines and cause blockage problems. And from my experience with cheap catlitter, it is often very dusty, wich can lead to respiatory problems.

About the dust, my hamsters have always been trained to use a potty with catlitter in it. Well, when I was younger, I got a cheap off brand of litter and the hammys that liked to dig in their litter boxes started sneezing and even though they only had the litter for a short time, the two that had that type of litter only lived with me just over a year, versus usually at least 2 years.

 

[sandspoultry]

I don't think it would work either for the same reason as silkie said. However, we always start ours off on pine shavings and after about 3 weeks when they go out to the brooder barn we use sand for litter. It works great, easy to clean (you can scoop it like cat litter). We live in Eastern NC so there is plenty of sand around here. We get it by the dump truck load and put it in the chicken pens when they get muddy.

Steve in NC

 

[M@M@2four]

Yep, totally agree...no kitty litter. I have found that a roll of cheap paper towels works freat. I line the brooder with paper towels. They're easy to clean up and not slippery like newspaper so your chicks don't develop spraddle leg. I always put an old piece of material or something in there just under the lamp so they have something to snuggle on. I usually save my DH's old t-shirts and just cut it into washcloth sized squares and that does the trick! I don't use bedding that the chicks could accidently inhale. Good luck!