Straw or hay?

[annmarie]

I use straw for my fully grown hens and it works great. I'm not sure if it's good for chicks or not though. Regardless, save it for when they get a little bigger, it's great stuff, and really expensive! I wish someone would give me free straw!

 

[Dawn419]

Quote:
I use pine shavings in our brooder also and haven't had any problems with the chicks eating it. I just put down several layers of paper towels on top of the shavings and remove them after the chicks are a week old.

Dawn

 

[RattiganChicks]

Hello everyone! I am a new chicken owner myself and have so enjoyed this message board I had to join. I have learned so much from all of you. Our 11 new barred rocks are 3 weeks today and are growing like bad weeds. My question is, how soon can they be put out in a protected area and the coop. They current live in a cage in our garage but they certainly enjoy kicking the wood shavings everywhere, hence my curiousity on getting them into their permanent home. Any thoughts??

 

[rroven]

I have 9 Ameracaunas in a outdoor brooder house/coop. They are 3 weeks old also and they have been out there for 2 weeks. I stopped using the light this past friday and they are all doing fine. They spend most of their time in the run during the day and seem to be very happy campers. Around dusk they come inside the coop and we close the door to the run for the night. I think as long as they have light at night for warmth you should be able to put them out by the second week. Well, you can here anyway....

 

[n2thestorm5032]

I heard straw was good but could be good homes for mites because of the small spaces!

 

[Bandit37804]

I'm new also. I use pine shaving inside the coop and in the nesting boxes. Outside, in their run, I give them about a bucket full of straw a day. They have a blast scratching thru it. I hope I'm not making a mistake by doing this!

 

[FiveHens]

You can put the chicks outside at 5-8 weeks, if the temperature is comfortable outside and it doesn't get too cold at night.

Rattigan-you might want to post your question as a new "topic" so the answers to your question and the original one don't get mixed. People will see it better, too.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I did straw for awhile, and I'm doing shavings for the last six months. I prefer the shavings seems to stay dryer and more fluffy. My chickens didn't seem to care one way or the other. I raked all the straw out into the run (at the end in a pile) and they love to dig around in it. It was in the 10 x 10 foot coop all winter...about a foot deep.

Once in awhile I rake and stir the straw around and everyone comes running as I'm doing the scratching and all they have to do is watch for and grab bugs and worms.

 

[felidaet]

I use pine bedding pellets in the brooder. In the coop I use pine shavings (deep litter method). I stir them up about once a week with a pitch fork. I only use straw in the nest boxes.

 

[snowflake]

I prefer pine. For me the hey and straw got wet and smelly much faster then pine. I used it in the brooder with no problems. I put hey in on top of the pine in the winter it had lots of grass and clover, the hens enjoyed scratching and eating it. I use both hey and straw in the nest box.

have fun with your chicks!