Wire Brooder Floor?

[neversaychick]

I'm brand new to the world of chickens. It seems to me it would be so nice and easy to have chicks on a wire floor. Clean up would be a breaze. I saw one brooder in the sticky with that type of design. Is it safe for the chicks? Do they need the shaving most brooders have?

 

[meezermom]

Some folks do for when they are older - or for a coop - but it isnt recommended for brand new babies or heavy breeds.
What are you thinking of using for a brooder?
Most folks use shaving for bedding becuz it is easier to handle - clean up, etc. Smells nice, too. Some use orchard grass hay - good stuff only - cuz it is easy for the babies & also smells nice. though it is more difficult to handle, it does compost REALLY well!
Welcome!

 

[cgmccary]

I use playground [sanitized] sand; I buy in 50 lb bags at Lowes. Using a kitchen strainer (metal), fine enough that the sand passes but the poop is caught, I recycle the sand.

It stays clean & dry.

No pasty butt problems.

It serves as a first grit.

They dig and take "dust baths" early on.

It doesn't foul the water as bad.

 

[Oceanseve]

We did wire last year and after loosing all 4 last year found out this year why it was a bad idea. We used unmedicated feed and w/o access to their own feces there is no slow building immunity to cocci, so once they went outside w/ the other chickens it was toxic shock. Anyway, my two cents

 

[Nicola]

put newspaper down its cheap and easy to clean up just take the old layer off and a new one on

 

[Oceanseve]

most actually tell you not to use newspaper because it can cause leg problems since it can be slick.

 

[neversaychick]

Thanks for the replies. I am anything but a country girl, but my hubbie decided we needed chicks!

I am of course falling for them like I suppose he knew I would!

We've got 20 RIR chicks that are one week old (half will go to a friend) . We had them on newspaper too long in a smallish box so yesterday I talked hubby into a big shipping crate. He put the wire down on top of some 2x4s. Crate was nice and neat this morning, but I wasn't completly comfortable with just the wire and after reading your responses I put down a board on half the crate with shavings on top. Boy did they have fun with that when I put it in! They have settled down now and are sleeping on top of the wire where they threw some of the shaving down (under the lamp). I think this is a happy compromise.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Paper towels work better than newspaper. I move mine out to a wire floor brooder after the first week or two. Just give them a piece of plywood or something solid under the heat lamp for them to stand on. It blocks the wind and air from coming thru the wire to chill them.

 

[Nicola]

Quote:
my school teacher used it and had no problems at all

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Wire floor is OK, but mesh finer than 1/2 inch is recommended for a little ones.
When they are about 3 weeks old 1/2 mesh is fine.

I use newspaper changed every day for first 3 weeks.
Some people will say that newspaper is slippery and will cause spradle legs.

That's what I do:

Take a sheet of newspaper and kneed it into a small ball, than unwrap it back to original shape. This process creates lots of wrinkles increasing traction, takes only a few seconds.

I never had a case of spraddle eggs.

I do not use shavings, had few cases a chick choked to death trying to eat it.