[nuzuki]

Hello,
I am using paper towels as flooring for my brooder area. Im moving them to a bigger brooding area soon so it will be easier to use newspaper but have read the thing about splayed legs. So now they are older is splayed/spraddle leg not a problem anymore? I would be putting wood shavings on top of the paper or an old beach towel if the paper does cause a problem.
Thanks

[GrannieAnnie]

By 2 weeks, our chicks would be on shavings on top of the wooden floor of the brooder, so can't see why not with the newspaper if you need it.  Why do you need newspaper on it?

[gracie]

I used to put the newspaper down with shavings on top. Main benefit being lifting it out to clean. As we kept our chicks in the utility room I would clean out everyday so the easier the better

[nuzuki]

Thanks for the replies. I am about to move them to a bigger area in a barn which is 6 times the size of the current brooder. So as you can imagine I would get through alot of kitchen roll. I hadnt thought about the board of wood or even 2 boards of wood joined up. That would make cleaning alot easier. Im currently looking for some old/used vinyl/lino but am having no luck even with my local freecycle network. I may just take a drive to the tip and grab some out of the skip or have a word with the fellas there to hold some back for me. I would use this for the brooder and the coop floor.

[GrannieAnnie]

My little brooder shed had a wooden floor anyway, but if you are looking at something to put on the existing floor, be careful about red mite, they will get anywhere.  They would love hiding under the lino!

[nuzuki]

Thanks, I did just notice a red mite in our greenhouse!!! We dont even have chickens yet (or outside anyhow)

I would be taking the lino out and hosing it down. I would then clean the corners of the coop and put mite powder down before putting the lino back in place and newpaper and shavings on top. That would be my proposed routine 

I forget now the rule of thumb about using hey or straw, one you can use and one you cannot. I think straw is ok but hey is not, have I got that right?

Thanks

[joyfull]

are you sure you didn't see a red spider mite? Redmites are normally grey until they have fed on a bird and filled up with blood.

[GrannieAnnie]

We don't use straw or hay.  hay the chooks will eat and could get impacted crop.  They won't eat the straw, but as straw is hollow, if it gets a bit damp with their urinates, it can harbour mould spores and create respiratory diseases.

I know people do use it, but we only use wood shavings, dust extracted if possible.

[nuzuki]

It could of been a red spider mite, not something i'd seen before mind.

I'll bear that in mind about the straw and hay. I have a few blocks of wood shavings somewhere so will just make use of them.

Thanks for the advice

[GrannieAnnie]

DEFRA advises the use of wood shavings too, and none of the commercials use straw or hay.

Straw compacts too when its pooped on a lot, whereas wood shavings are easier to poo pick 

[Craigx]

Hey,

From previous experiance, using news paper would be a mistake, within 2 hours, it was a sloggy pile of stinking mess...


I dunno peoples views on what to use but i use puppy pads from poundshop, they fit the bottem of the box theyre in, and stops the smells quite well, clean every 2 days (or daily depending on amount), untill theyre outside, with hay


Craig

[splash101]

craigx, im too using a similar mat.

My OH uses these mats in his job for spillages and he said try one. They are really quite good. It sucks the moisture out of the poop as well so its only the dry crumbly mess on top and like you say, no smell.

Good for small brooders

[Craigx]

craigx, im too using a similar mat.

My OH uses these mats in his job for spillages and he said try one. They are really quite good. It sucks the moisture out of the poop as well so its only the dry crumbly mess on top and like you say, no smell.

Good for small brooders

Mine do exactly that to! glad im not the only one using mats of this type, theyre is 5 in each pack from poundshop, so works out to 20p for a easy cleaning solution lol


Craig

[GrannieAnnie]

Hey,

From previous experiance, using news paper would be a mistake, within 2 hours, it was a sloggy pile of stinking mess...


I dunno peoples views on what to use but i use puppy pads from poundshop, they fit the bottem of the box theyre in, and stops the smells quite well, clean every 2 days (or daily depending on amount), untill theyre outside, with hay


Craig

Hay is not a good idea Craig!  Chooks will eat it and it can give them impacted crop

[rosie14]

I have had newspaper in the brooder since before they hatched lol! However I had a large papered area covered with fleece with a layer of dust extracted, short, super soft straw on top. It's worked well and since mama hen brought the chicks off of the nest they have been absolutely fine on the paper. It's so easy to clean out however... I only have 3 chicks and one hen and I put them into a grassy run on the day too