Why I LOVE sand in my brooder!

[subhanalah]

I have to say that The Chicken Chick has a whole article on soaking chicks toes to get cemented manure balls off of chicks feet so they won't be injured and she is a big advocate of sand in the brooder and in runs. After my debacle with my quail chicks you can read about in a previous post in this thread. I took the sand out of the same brooder with the same amount of chicks and put shavings in and have had no problems, none. My chick with the gangrenous toe due to manure balls is still alive but I'm hoping it will just fall off and not spread higher on the foot. Maybe sand is better for poultry in the run when they are fully grown, IDK, but what I do know is I would never put my flock at that kind of risk again.

perhaps you should cut off the infected/necrotic tissue above the damage to prevent the spread? Birds are tough, clip it, put some news poring over it and apply pressure? I've never done this, but do their toes really just fall off like that?

 

[nazredhens]

perhaps you should cut off the infected/necrotic tissue above the damage to prevent the spread? Birds are tough, clip it, put some news poring over it and apply pressure? I've never done this, but do their toes really just fall off like that?

Yes, I have heard of them falling off themselves. I am hesitant to clip it off and bandage it because I should be able to tell very soon if this one is a male or female and if male most likely will be culling or selling to cull since I can only keep a few healthy big males for breeding and this one is almost the smallest.

 

[nazredhens]

perhaps you should cut off the infected/necrotic tissue above the damage to prevent the spread? Birds are tough, clip it, put some news poring over it and apply pressure? I've never done this, but do their toes really just fall off like that?

I am happy to report that the quail chick's toe fell off and looks like the probable little girl will make it!

 

[subhanalah]

I am happy to report that the quail chick's toe fell off and looks like the probable little girl will make it!

hurray!

 

[flossyandprissy]

I am happy to report that the quail chick's toe fell off and looks like the probable little girl will make it!

Poor baby! So glad shell make it!! Sand still doing great for us.

 

[DBurns]

I hate to be the negative nelly here, but my experience with sand and chickens is not good. As I am writing this I have a chicken (Thelma) that is scheduled surgery Monday morning to have her crop cleaned because she has about 3/4 to 1/2 of sand in her crop even after several flushings to get rid of the sand. Best of luck to all who are using sand in their coops.