what to put in brooder for baby chicks?

[kdavis228]

I have pine shavings, actual shavings not dust, and newspaper what should I use? Right now I have the newspaper down with a shallow layer of shavings over that, will that work?

 

[kera!]

that will work use at least 1" I like to use paper towel over the top for a few day news paper is slippery. paper towel is not.

 

[rhs7111]

With day old chicks, I usually put down paper towels and then pine shavings over the paper towels. (I have yet to have chicks eat shavings but if your chicks do, then put an additional layer of paper towels over the pine shavings for a few days). Newspaper can get slippery when wet, and can cause slipped tendon injuries in young chicks. After a few days, I skip the paper towel layer altogether and only use pine shavings as bedding.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

newspaper can cause leg problems.
I put down the shavings then cover it with burlap and cover that with paper towels for the first few days.
After about 10 days I pull up the burlap. By then they know what food looks like.

 

[motherhenmindy]

I put down paper towel, then newspaper, and then used a thick layer of aspen shavings. If I were to do it all over again, I'd just do paper towel. They made a mess of it all.

 

[Anianna]

I just use pine shavings. You can use textured paper towels, but don't use anything slick like newspapers as that can cause splayed legs.

 

[dretd]

I start with paper towels over shavings then pull the paper towels after a couple of days. At about a week, I then switch over to a 50/50 mixture of peat moss and sand mixed together. Gives 'um something to scratch at. The peat moss can dirty up the water so I set the water container on a tile to keep it off of the mixture.

 

[joneus]

I've got shredded junk mail over a layer of newspaper and that seems to be working out so far. Maybe I should send a picture to CitiBank and American Express and say, "Thanks!"

 

[whimx]

i use pine shavings, about 2 inches thick

though for day olds i would put pine shavings, then paper towels on top for the first day. no newspaper, it's slippery and gets gross when it gets wet (and it WILL get wet!)

 

[secuono]

I have mine on nothing more than scrap cardboard until they are ready to go out with the others..Adding shavings and such just makes a larger mess, clogs the water and the food is lost within it.