Can I use kitty litter for chick brooder bedding?

[KaylorFarms]

Hello,
Is it safe to use kitty litter as chick bedding since they make such a mess with hay and I would like to be able to scoop the poop up easily? Or is there any recommended brand of sand I can use?

 

[mixedUPturk]

No ma'am dont use kitty litter they will eat it and when they do itll cause an intestinal blockage. Same with sand in horses i wouldnt put chicks on it.

I use pine shavings which are cheap in bulk and clean my brooders each wk. With enough space per chick it doesnt get nasty in that time.

 

[MissChick@dee]

No... it will clump and impact their crops. Chickens are curious and pecking is something they do to investigate.
Have you ever held wet kitty litter in your hands? It absorbs liquid then turns hard.
Imagine that in your little chick’s crop....
Hay would be a bit messy especially trying to pick up tiny poops. Try pine shavings but those could be kicked around too. Perhaps build a kick board around their bedding. You may need to try different things to make things easier but remember chicks don’t know what’s good (or bad) for them. Have patience the chicks will grow and poop and mess up things good enough for a rake!

 

[KaylorFarms]

Okay, thanks for the replies! It's just so hard using hay because they get it wet and the bottom of the brooder gets soaked and it smells bad. It's also a harder clean up so I'm trying to find something a little easier

 

[Ebony Rose]

Are you anywhere near the rice farmers there in Oklahoma? If so, the empty husks of rice make excellent bedding. They don't get slick and slimy when wet, they're extremely lightweight so when they kick stuff around, the heavier poop sinks, and it's usually VERY cheap. I do a deep litter method, so I just add more until your chicks have outgrown the brooder, then haul the used husks to the garden; works wonders for clay heavy soil in the garden. I'm in Panama, they grow a lot of rice here, I pay $1 USD per bag for the 100# (size) feed bag's worth and they provide the bag, it's absolutely free to haul away if I provide the bags. One bag is quite a bit of husks for brooders

 

[jess924]

My last batch of chicks I used a nipple feeder from the get go...kept the brooder so much drier as for myself the wet mess was from them tipping and splashing their water everywhere.

 

[starri33]

I've used puppy pads for mine.

 

[Willowspirit]

I think using rice husks is brilliant!

Another consideration is paper bedding. It is lightweight and fluffy. Its a bit pricey but you can use the deep litter method with it, too. Big disadvantage is that it can get every. I have 3 chickens in an xpen on the floor and it sticks to my clothes and such. Easy to sweep up though.