They are eating the paper towels!!!

[lilchickenz]

I put carefresh in the bottom of their brooder and paper towel on top of that because they peck at it and eat it. Now they rip bits of the paper towel and eat that! They really go at it, filling their little crops with paper towel!! What to do? They eat their crumbles too but geez they seem to fill up on paper towel. What do I do with these silly chickens? They are three weeks old.

 

[Percheron chick]

Are you providing some dirt for them to scratch and play in? They need something to do.

 

[ErinEliz]

I would change bedding. They can actually cause blockages which can lead to death if they inject foreign objects not ment for food

 

[lilchickenz]

You're right, they were bored. problem solved.

 

[lilchickenz]

 

[lilchickenz]

Aaaaand, they're back to eating paper towel.

 

[creepygothnursi]

You may have to take the paper towels away altogether and use something else for bedding. Eating some bedding is not unusual, but if they insist on filling up with a bunch of paper towel, they can get blockages. Pine chips or sand might work.

 

[Joshua G]

Try using newspaper, it doesn't tear as easily.

 

[lilchickenz]

Pine, sand and newspaper won't work. All of them aggravate asthma in one way or another. I think I'll try rags. I have boxes and boxes of old clothing I'd been saving for my quilting aspirations that never seem to materialize. So I can at least use them for something.

 

[write2caroline]

I would take out the paper towel completely and use sand or pine shavings. I prefer sand but whichever you prefer is great. You do not want to have issues with digestion or blockages.

Enjoy your chicks

Caroline