# 2 questions from a newbie



## bagpiperjosh (Mar 26, 2013)

I just got 16 Barred Rocks in the mail on sunday. i have been keeping them in a baby pool. 

I am wondering..

How often should i change the pine shavings in there?


and my local Tractor supply has no idea what chick grit is.... can i just pit some regular play sand in there instead? if not, what would work??.. i dont have a stream bed anywhere near me

thanks


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

I'm new too but my chickys are a bit older. I changed the pine every day or every other day depending on how much they stunk. They will be able to jump up on the edge of the pool quickly, you might need a cover or something with very large sides. If you are only feeding them chick starter they don't need grit. They only need it to digest treats. 

It's strange that your TSC doesn't have it as that's where I got my chick grit. But honestly I've seen them eat the sand more than anything. (I switched from pine to sand after a couple of weeks. I find it to be cleaner and now use it in the coop) 

Congrats on the babies I have 5 barred rocks.cant wait till they are big!! Mine are 5 weeks old.


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## bagpiperjosh (Mar 26, 2013)

GenFoe said:


> I'm new too but my chickys are a bit older. I changed the pine every day or every other day depending on how much they stunk. They will be able to jump up on the edge of the pool quickly, you might need a cover or something with very large sides. If you are only feeding them chick starter they don't need grit. They only need it to digest treats.
> 
> It's strange that your TSC doesn't have it as that's where I got my chick grit. But honestly I've seen them eat the sand more than anything. (I switched from pine to sand after a couple of weeks. I find it to be cleaner and now use it in the coop)
> 
> Congrats on the babies I have 5 barred rocks.cant wait till they are big!! Mine are 5 weeks old.


 well i would like to give them treats at some point, so that's why i wanted to get some. and i have cardboard around the sides


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Change the bedding as needed. If there is a bad spot change it , other wise you can just fluff it up and mix it a bit each day or so to keep the smell down. As for the grit, yes you can use sand, you can even put a clod of grass with a dirt ball in the brooder for grit. One piece of advice though, if at anytime you need anything from TSC, research first before going. The employees are not trained in raising poultry, unless by chance you get someone who has chickens. Otherwise I would take anything they say with a grain of salt. 

Congrats on the babies


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

I agree Apyl, I knew more about chickens from a few days of reading and researching than the majority of staff at my local tsc store. Luckily there is one girl who has always had them her entire life so she loves talking about them and answering questions. It's just a matter of going there when she is!

Look at how cute they are too! Little fluff balls. It goes by quick! Here's mine at 2 days and them almost 5 weeks


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Too sweet! I love it when they get a little bigger. More to hold and cuddle without feeling like I'm going to squish them.


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## bagpiperjosh (Mar 26, 2013)

Ok.so I noticed a few of them had hardened poop around their vents.I tried using a damp paper towel to remove it, and that was worthless..I tried to peel away the hardened poop from their vent as much as possible.is there anything else I can do? anyone try using scissors to cut the poop out?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Hold their butt under warm running water and massage the poop off. Its called pasty but. You need to stay on top of this since it can lead to blockage and death. I believe some people have luck putting vasoline on their butts to help prevent the poop from sticking.


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## bagpiperjosh (Mar 26, 2013)

Apyl said:


> Hold their butt under warm running water and massage the poop off. Its called pasty but. You need to stay on top of this since it can lead to blockage and death. I believe some people have luck putting vasoline on their butts to help prevent the poop from sticking.


 That will likely take a very long time, its rock hard.. i was able to get it free from their vents so they can still poop, its just all nasty under there


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

bagpiperjosh said:


> That will likely take a very long time, its rock hard.. i was able to get it free from their vents so they can still poop, its just all nasty under there


It wont take a long time, maybe 2 minutes tops. They need to be washed, it will build up fast and can kill them. Pasty butt is normal with shipped chicks. It only lasts about a week or two, so in the mean time they really need to be washed.


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## bagpiperjosh (Mar 26, 2013)

Apyl said:


> It wont take a long time, maybe 2 minutes tops. They need to be washed, it will build up fast and can kill them. Pasty butt is normal with shipped chicks. It only lasts about a week or two, so in the mean time they really need to be washed.


OK, so i took care of the pasting. yea... they didn't care for it.. but after the first few seconds they actually just closed their eyes and relaxed, so it wasnt too bad. the worst attitude out of the bunch was the fancy mystery breed i got, even that one wasn't too bad


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