Straw for Chicks?

[chloezoebob101]

Hey, I was wondering if chicks would be fine with straw. they will be freshly hatched. I read somewhere it wasn't good for them, and to just use bedding. Is that true? I have raised chicks before and we used bedding, but we are thinking about straw this time.
Thanks in Advance!
- Haley

 

[Fred's Hens]

Try straw. You may just like it. I've used straw, mostly, for 50 years. I don't think Mrs. Ingalls had wood chips on Little House.

Straw is not "good for chicks"?? Seriously, modern people say the darndest things. Sure, I've used wood chips and even a mix of straw and wood chips. I think if a person wants wood chips and likes them, that is completely fine. But honestly, birds have kept on straw and/or hay for centuries, for pity sake.

Or, you can do what Mrs. Ingalls did and use paper towels.

 

[darin367]

my last 5 batches were hatched in straw, raised in straw and now they lay eggs in straw.......

 

[chloezoebob101]

Thank you guys! i just want to make sure they grow up to be healthy!

 

[Syharrison]

when they get to about 6weeks old i use shredded paper

 

[kulangututot]

worm casting - worm bins - red worms

 

[chloezoebob101]

when they get to about 6weeks old i use shredded paper

ok, i might try that too! I'm just experimenting.

 

[BoltonChicken]

I prefer pine shavings. Straw tends to get matted and clump together whereas shavings do not. Just my personal thing.

 

[Syharrison]

pine shavings are the best option by far the paper seems to clump together and gather smell quickly

 

[debid]

I used straw run through a wood chipper/shredder for my chicks. One $4 bale made two of those big leaf bags full of shredded straw. It's soft and fluffy and worked GREAT. That same straw is doing wonderful things for my garden right now.

I ran out of straw recently and tried shredded newspaper with the (now grown) chickens. I prefer the straw (as do the chickens -- they go nuts scratching in it for the occasional kernel when I first put it in) but shredded paper works. I'm not finding it smelly at all but then my coop is dry which always makes a difference. I tore it a bit prior to shredding to keep the pieces from being very long (and tangly) and then ran it through a regular shredder. I'm thinking crosscut would be a really nice feature.