Why do I need bedding for chicks

[yelim]

And how much bedding for 4 to 5 week old chicks?

 

[PunkinPeep]

The reason i use bedding is that i keeps them from walking around in their own feces as much, and it keeps the stink down - which is the same reason i use bedding for full grown chickens. As to chicks, it also makes so they have a nice place to lay down and rest, instead of just hard wood or plastic.

How much bedding? I guess it depends on your facilities. If they're still in a brooder, i guess an inch or so on the bottom. There's no hard and fast rule. Just enough to cover the bottom and add a little padding.

Does that help at all?

 

[gstone]

From what I understand 3 inches or so of pine bedding should do. They need that to walk on (as opposed to flat newspaper) so that their feet form properly as they grow.

 

[nicoletm24]

i use hay

 

[sheilawagner]

I divide my brooder into 2 sections. One side for sleeping, and one side for feeding.

On the sleeping perches side of the brooder, I use pine shavings as the floor litter, on the food and water feeder side, I use straw, so that they stop kicking all the shavings into the feeders. It makes it much more hygienic and I don't have to keep shaking the shavings out or change the feeder every 2 hours.