# Brooder Box Shaving Questions



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

We're fixing to make a few new brooder boxes an was wondering what is the best type of shaving to use for the baby chicks, geese, turkeys an more...?

Got to get some new drinks things an feeders for them all.. Starting all fresh once again.

txs


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

This year I used pine shavings for the chicks, poults, goslings, and ducklings. Last year I use sand. For chicks the sand worked awesome. For the ducks and geese I have yet to find a bedding material that works real good. The pine shavings did just fine for the poults.


----------



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

Apyl said:


> This year I used pine shavings for the chicks, poults, goslings, and ducklings. Last year I use sand. For chicks the sand worked awesome. For the ducks and geese I have yet to find a bedding material that works real good. The pine shavings did just fine for the poults.


Just a question my hubby wanted me to ask would cedar shaving be bad for them?

I hope can fine a huge bag of pine shavings, as here we live in a very small town an it's hard to find certain things.

Txs for the help.


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

thebaker said:


> Just a question my hubby wanted me to ask would cedar shaving be bad for them?
> 
> I hope can fine a huge bag of pine shavings, as here we live in a very small town an it's hard to find certain things.
> 
> Txs for the help.


Cedar shavings are toxic to chicks and WILL kill them.

As for the shaving, I buy mine from Tractor supply 30 miles from me. I live in the woods outside of a town of only 900 so yeah I understand the small town dilema lol


----------



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

Apyl said:


> Cedar shavings are toxic to chicks and WILL kill them.
> 
> As for the shaving, I buy mine from Tractor supply 30 miles from me. I live in the woods outside of a town of only 900 so yeah I understand the small town dilema lol


Thanks for the help an letting us know about the Cedar shaving been really bad. We're looking into more stuff right now and making our metal building in a hug chicken coop..


----------



## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

Newspaper works with a bit of paper towel over the top, or old garage sale dish towels. We use pine shavings sometimes. Friend of ours just sprinkles a bit of their old food on the ground for them to walk on.


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Never newspaper, it will cause splayed leg. If you choose you can put paper towel over the woodchips the first couple days but its not needed.


----------



## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

Been using newspaper for years with no problems. Only occasionally will a chick end up with splay leg, which is incredibly easy to treat. As pointed out before, make sure there is something over the top of it. Makes for easy cleaning and moisture ridding.


----------



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

Did find out our local feed store does carry pine shaving a huge bag of pine shavings but right now their out of them until the truck runs in a few days. So at least know our local feed store has the stuff need or can order it..We've not got to build our brooder box yet due to rain as it can't be delivered right now so maybe here in a few days or next week. Can't wait to get it done an get new babies here..


----------



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

Got our brooder box built an now waiting on our order of ducks, turkeys an geese to get here. Been really busy with things plus found out our rooster isn't no good at breeding. No new chicks yet. Had hen sitting on eggs for over 2 weeks an got the eggs out from under her an nothing was growing all was no good. So got to get a new rooster later after get incubator here. 
Thanks for all the help on things..


----------



## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

I'm pretty sure eggs take 21 days to hatch. 2 weeks isn't enough time for them.


----------



## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

She/he (sorry) is right, at 2 weeks you should have for sure seen something inside the eggs. Empty glowing eggs at day 14 is never a good sign.


----------



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

GenFoe said:


> I'm pretty sure eggs take 21 days to hatch. 2 weeks isn't enough time for them.


When I have hens sitting on eggs I wait about 2 weeks or so to check them for any development at all. I used to hatch lots of little chicks n all a few years back but got really busy so stopped doing so an the candler did have died so never purchase another one until not long ago.

Now trying to locate me another rooster that isn't sterile but no luck yet. Got a new incubator on the way an no fertile eggs to hatch. Gosh hope how soon to find a rooster or may have to order me some fertile eggs to hatch an go from there.

Oh yeah my order of turkeys, ducklings an goslings came in today. So got babies to watch now an play with..


----------



## thebaker (May 4, 2013)

*So Happy*

We thought our rooster was no good as my hen had been sitting on eggs for a good while an then candled them an no development, So before we got another new rooster I let my hens lay their eggs an each day would collect them to put in the incubator well today we checked them an there is babies a growing so that's great. So our rooster is good. We now also got a new rooster but these eggs is from the rooster I thought was bad but he's good.

Now I'll have great babies.


----------

