Brooder with not shavings?

[Esrun]

Do any of you use the heating pad for warmth vs the heat lamp. We have a heat lamp but it makes me nervous. And the broody plates are expensive.

 

[The Birb King]

You could use them, but you will need to clean way more often since pads don't absorb as well as shavings.

 

[Huntmaster]

Do any of you use the heating pad for warmth vs the heat lamp. We have a heat lamp but it makes me nervous. And the broody plates are expensive.

Check out Mama Heating pad in brooder thread on raising baby chickens. It has best info on using heating pad. I like heat lamps, but this is a very good option if you are worried about lamp.

 

[MIchickenlady]

I use puppy pads, they can't eat them since they can't tear them.

At about 3 weeks old my chicks have eaten and torn up puppy pads, I still use them for 2 weeks then switch to shavings with a box of sand grit.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, we use puppy pads as well, and change them every evening. We like to clean after dark because the chicks are more manageable then. I wear a little head lamp that has a red light option. The chicks don't see well in red light and they stay calm as I pick them up and transfer them into a clean plastic tote with fresh food and water. We do use two heat lamps (a white one for day, red at night), but they are zip tied to a hanger so they can't possibly fall. The totes are kept partly in a closet with the doors off in a spare room. As less heat is needed we slide the totes further out of the closet, away from the lamps. At three weeks the chicks are moved to an outdoor brooder. We don't seem to have a problem with dust. Generally we have six chicks to a tote by three weeks though the totes may hold up to ten day-olds.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We start our chicks on grit on day three, and three days later add a few dried meal worms to their diet. This is not primariily for nutrition supplemrntation, but rather to aid in taming and teaching them to respond to our voices. As time goes on a few other novel food choices can be added.