While it’s not guaranteed that cedar shavings will have a bad effect, it’s common enough that it’s best to avoid cedar entirely in the brooder. Chicks have very fragile respiratory systems, and aromatic bedding can cause problems with their breathing. Not only is flat newspaper unabsorbent, but it also can permanently disfigure your chicks.Ĭhicks can’t get a good grip on slippery newspaper, which causes their legs to splay out to the sides, an affliction that can become permanent.Ĭedar shavings are another bad choice for the brooder.Ĭedar is an aromatic wood, which might seem like a nice choice for a brooder, but really isn’t. Newspaper isn’t idea for more than one reason.īoth of these options aren’t absorbent and will result in a smelly brooder that quickly fills with waste, making a very unhealthy environment for your chicks. Many people try to brood their chicks on flat newspaper or shredded paper because it’s inexpensive. Proper chick bedding should be able to absorb their waste to make the environment more comfortable and less smelly. However, the bedding you choose for the chicks does matter, for several reasons. At first glance, it seems it doesn’t matter what you pick because you’re just going to throw it out every other day, right? Farm supply stores sell so many different types of bedding. Using the Wrong Litter/BeddingĬhoosing the wrong type of bedding for the chick brooder is hands down the most common mistake people make. It helps to go into this new venture with as much information as possible, so you can raise your chicks to be happy, healthy hens. I’ve even made some of these mistakes myself over the years. I’ve compiled a list of common mistakes people make when brooding chicks. There’s a lot to learn before you start raising chicks, and the first thing on the list is how to brood those little babies without making any mistakes. Bringing home chicks for the first time is exciting, make sure you set your new flock up to thrive. Bringing home a batch of new baby chicks can be stressful, especially if you’ve never raised chickens before.
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