Which is the best bedding to use for my baby chicks??

[chickitty]

I'm just wondering what kind of bedding i should get for them...

 

[PrettyCoy]

I used sand and I'd definitely do it that way again. Any droppings dried right out in the sand and were easy to scoop out with a kitty litter scoop. There was never any smell or dust issue either. Also, the chicks can use the sand as grit.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I use kiln-dried pine shavings. No paper. Just shavings. Have brooded hundreds of chicks over the years that way.

 

[Katieasaur]

I'm using the puppy housetraining pads and i love it cuz i can change them and have it clean and no smell instantly

 

[Remudamom]

Someone on here had the brilliant idea of using puppy pee training pads. I used them with my latest bunch of chicks and loved it. Now I've got some under my very young chicks and one with shavings on top under a broody nest.

 

[Impatient]

Honestly something I've found works awesome for fresh chick bedding are XL puppy pads. I use just the pads for the first couple days until I'm sure all chicks are eating/drinking well and it being a white background helps me monitor their poop for the first couple days to make sure everything looks good. Clean up is also a breeze since you just roll the mats up and shove into bags. Since they're so absorbent I've found they also keep moisture and smell down when I move the chocks onto pine shavings. I put down the pads first and then cover with 2-4" of pine shavings. To keep the food and water cleaner I place them on raised surfaces in the brooder after one shavings are added.

 

[Coveacres]

I use pine shavings. Just be sure to cover it with paper the first day or two so that the chicks dont think its a food source

 

[chickenmanII]

I agree, we use pine shavings. They work really well you, as coveacres said you do need to use paper on the first few days, and after that you have to change it often it gets pretty nasty pretty quick.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I used sand and I'd definitely do it that way again. Any droppings dried right out in the sand and were easy to scoop out with a kitty litter scoop. There was never any smell or dust issue either. Also, the chicks can use the sand as grit.

That is genius! What kind of sand? Play sand or what?

 

[PrettyCoy]

That is genius! What kind of sand? Play sand or what?

Yes, just regular play sand from Lowes/Home Depot. We use it on our run as well.