Help! Chicks eating paper towel

[Shelly_WNC]

My SLW's are 3 1/2 weeks old and just today I noticed they are eating the paper towel in the brooder. Will this hurt them? How can I prevent it ? Should I stop putting paper towel in the brooder?

I have consistently put one layer of newspaper, then one layer of paper towel and then pine shavings down on the broader. I love watching my eleven chicks after I clean the brooder, they always seemed to poke around in the shavings and investigate the different colored things found. But for 3 weeks they never eat the shavings or any thing but their own food (starter ). Then at exactly 3 weeks old they seemed to be alittle more destructive - now they started scratching like crazy and totally tearing up the place. After I clean their brooder they all start scratching away the pine shavings to get to the paper towel and then they shred the paper towels into a zillion pieces. I didn't worry at first because they were just making a mess and not eating it.

BUT today (they are 3 1/2 weeks now) I watched ALL of they shred up the paper towel and now they are actually ingesting it ... so I am paniced. They eat their food fine and seem to love it. I check on their food a few times and day and make sure to clean the shavings out and keep the feed full. Even today they eat their starter after I cleaned the brooder but then proceeded to tear up the towel and eat it. They look like crazed when they do this to or obsessed.

Is this normal? and why now at 3 1/2 weeks? Is it just animal instincts for chickens?

Please help - all advice and moral support is welcome!!!

 

[abanjaf]

It sounds like they have found themselves a new source of great entertainment (to your great dismay)! They have learned that their is something new and exciting they can do to keep themselves entertained. And like all babies, everything goes into the mouth. I would just stop putting the paper towels down. Would hate for the consumption of the paper towels to cause constipation or obstruction. The paper and pine shavings should be quite sufficient in containing messes. If weather and feathering permits (but I also live in Florida), I start taking mine outside for short periods for exercise and activity daily at that age. I'm sure your babies are fine, but get rid of the paper towels

 

[Chickens-246]

I found in the past that they will eat anything that you put in the brooder. Past brooders I would staple aluminum screen over the newspaper. Now I use 1/4" hardware cloth (screen) in the bottom and let poo drop thought. I saw a picture here (I think it was in the brooder picture thread) of someone made a drop in frame with 1/4" screen.

 

[Shelly_WNC]

I just checked on them after an hour and they were still eating the paper towel - argh!

Soooo I grabbed some of their starter food and threw it down in the areas they torn up the towel the must, this seemed to work (for now) they are happily eating the crumbles off the bottom now. I sat back and watched them for a bit and only a few would eat from the long red standard feeder, this got me thinking maybe they don't actually like sticking their heads in to get their food. So I opened the feeder up so it was more like a trough and a better number of my chicks went over to the feeder to eat now. Could this be the issue? the feeder is to small for them or not constricted for them to eat?

I will keep watching them ... and stop using paper towel.

Curious about the hardware cloth for the bottom , my chicks like to scratch at the bottom ... would this upset them not to have something to scratch in?

 

[Chickens-246]

I don't think they will know the difference. What's worse, them possibly getting "upset" or eating non-food items?

I use a chick feeder in the hospital cage for hens.

 

[bigdawg]

thats why i line my brooders with rubber shelf liner. a roll is cheap and you can use it over and over, just swap it out with a clean piece. the poo washes off easy

 

[gritsar]

Three and half weeks old? Take em off the paper towels.
They've been ready for the pine shavings for about three weeks now.

 

[Shelly_WNC]

I just removed ALL the paper towel from their brooder - just couldn't take being worried and I seen they were still picking and eating it (so weird).

I had the paper towel down first and then a lot of pine shavings on top, my chicks just scratch all the pine shavings aways and tear up the towel - argh!!
My are just such 'messy marvins' this week ... every week is completely different *smile*

Thanks for all the advice , I really appreciate it!