Chicken boarders

[Dahato3]

We have been lucky enough to hatch out 12 chicks at my boys school. They are now 10 days old. Up until now we have used rubber matting which needs regular changing. The problem is that their feet are getting very messy which isn't ideal when children are weighing them etc or indeed for the chicks themselves. I have resisted putting in wood shavings in case they eat it. I simply can't remember at what age I added wood shavings in the past or if there is a safer alternative?

 

Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated.

 

I should add that we have a mix of large fowl (speckled Sussex, buff Sussex and cream legbar) as well as gold silkies and gold frizzle s, which are smaller......

[miller30]

Hi for the first 10/14 days I use jclothes which I just chuck away every 2 days then I move them on shavings I do this with lf and bantams and have never had any problems other than you get a thick layer of dust over everything once they start having a dirt bath in it leanne

[Dahato3]

That's really helpful..... Thank you so much.......

 

I think I have a tendency to worry too much

[Redwing]

If the brooder is in the house then wood pellet cat litter is a good floor cover as its too big to be eaten and also wont fly around the kitchen and does catch quite a bit of the dust. Shavings are ok though, they do go everywhere if the brooder has barred sides though!

 

My favourite chick bedding is Megazorb, it stays wonderfully dry at all times and is just briliant stuff