When to put shavings in

[jlbpooh]

I was wondering what age to put the shavings in. With my keets last summer, they said wait two weeks. What age for chicks?

 

[jlbpooh]

thanks, my question got answered in chat.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

With my day olds I put them on paper towels first two weeks then add woodshavings under the paper towels... then introduce them to the shavings by just pulling up the paper towels...they will peck at the shavings at first but usually leave them alone when they find out there is nothing to eat from them....some people do it sooner I like leaving them longer on the paper towels.....I keep the food and waterers up on bricks to they know where that is and not feeding on the shavings.....

 

[Matt A NC]

I put them on shavings as soon as they have good strong legs. Normally 3-5 days old.

I sift out the small shavings and saw dust.

Matt
Morganton, NC

 

[jlbpooh]

Thank you for your responses. My other four chickens were older when I got them so I didn't have to worry about this. I put the shavings in about a half an hour ago. They hatched on Sun/Mon. They seem to be eating some of the finer pieces, will that be a problem if they eat some? They are picking up the bigger pieces and running around with them like it is a game. It is quite amusing. All of them have gone to the feeders and eaten too so they know where their food is, and everyone is drinking well. With my guinea keets last summer, they said not to put shavings in for the first 2 weeks. When I did put them in, they screamed their heads off because they were scared to even walk. That was amusing also.

 

[BrahmaMama]

Oops....with my last two (and first time with chicks) batches, I brought them home, took them out of the boxes, and set them nicely down in my already prepared brooders-bottom covered in shavings...they turned out okay I guess

Of course the first batch *came* from the farm store, where they were in livestock tanks with shavings in the bottom.

 

[MS9325]

I have always used shavings right away, never had a problem

 

[Matt A NC]

Quote:
As long as they are eating their own food and water too, it won't be a problem.

 

[jlbpooh]

Thanks Matt, they seem to not be eating them today. I think last night they just did it because it was something new.