What can I use to Line a brooder?

[sethsleader]

Im putting my chicks into the brooder tomorrow. Can I line it with coragated cardboard so they dont slip? I have oodels of boxes so it could be changed easily, and they are free!!

If not what else can I use? I wasnt keen on saw dust, thought that they might eat it?

 

[Pathfinders]

Put down pine chips, (not sawdust), and put a layer of paper towel over it for the first week so they won't eat it. Cardboard would be too slippery.

 

[Southernbelle]

I like pressed pine pellets for my brooders. You can get it in the aisle with horsey stuff at the feed store. The chicks get great traction on them and they're too big to eat, so I don't have to cover them. The poo dries really fast on them, so it really cuts down on the smell and they're not dusty.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

The cardboard will be handy used under the shavings or straw. When it's time to change their bedding you can just lift out the cardboard & slide the dirty stuff out -- into your garden or compost bin, of course!

 

[newchickmom09]

Put down pine chips, (not sawdust), and put a layer of paper towel over it for the first week so they won't eat it. Cardboard would be too slippery.

Exactly what I was going to say. Once that cardboard gets wet from there water and poo it will be a slippery mess.

Pine shaving (I got my pine bedding from Walmart in the pet section) then cover that for a week with paper towels. You can just roll up the paper towels and put new ones down, very easy quick clean up. Then after a week take the paper towels away, since they will know what there food is by that time and put a little chick or parakete grit in with then incase they still try to eat some since they are going to love scratching and picking the spilt food out of it.

THen all I did was add a little everyday to dry out the poo and then fully changed it once a week. My chicks were outside at 5 weeks old.

Best of luck!

 

[danielle82]

I used some peat moss in mine, and I was happy with it. I heard not to use newspaper as it is to slippery and they can fall and hurt themselves, develop leg problems.

 

[Katy]

I use puppy pee pads for the first week or so and then they're either on pine shavings or in a brooder with a hardware cloth bottom.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I too liked the puppy pads for the first 3-4 days until they knew what the food was. Then peat moss until they really started to scratch then wood pellets.

 

[newchickmom09]

Forgot to add, you can check out the brooder thread at the beginning of this raising baby chicks there at a lot of great ideas and you can see what most people have used.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

 

[Darlasmum]

I also used pressed pine pellets. It is sold as cat litter- I found it the 'cheepest' at Trader Jos. It kept the smell and dust minimal, and was easy to scoop up for cleaning.