Sawdust on floor this may sound like a dumb question but....

frazzles · **Posted:** Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:40 pm

Hi, my pens are on earth, so I put down sawdust, then straw. However, one of the Pekins has just hatched four chicks, and she scratches so much that all the food,water andcrumbles get buried. If I put the containers up high, the little chicks can't reach them. How does anyone else cope, and would it be o.k. to remove all the hay and sawdust while the chicks are so young, and just leave it as dirt? thank you.

Sebducks · **Joined:** Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:41 pm **Posts:** 812

No question is ever silly.

I have hens with newly hatched chicks on dirt with no problems at all. The hens do tend to scratch the straw up and the chicks find it hard to navigate over it. I think it would be fine.

frazzles · **Posted:** Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:20 pm

Thanks for that, I have just been out and taken up all the straw and sawdust before it gets dark. Chicks were pecking away at the crumbles when I left them, they looked very content!

HBG · **Joined:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:45 pm **Posts:** 176

I used wood shavings in the brooders and found the very same thing so I ended up using yellow sand as we had a pile for the front lawn. I think your question was a very good one actually.

HBG

Fluffy_Feet · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:24 pm

you could always put the chicks and hen in a Guinea pig cage or something similar until they have a grip on life.

robbies coop · **Joined:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:59 pm **Posts:** 41

FF is right put them in a small cage until they are older

Robbie

Sebducks · **Joined:** Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:41 pm **Posts:** 812

Frazzles doesn't say if the pen is broody and chicks only. It really doesn't matter though, hens can and do bring up healthy chicks in and amongst the other hens in a larger pen. Mine has just brought up 9 of her own.

Hope they are going well for you Frazzles.

robbies coop · **Joined:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:59 pm **Posts:** 41

Your right but they do better on their own

Robbie

greenaus · **Posted:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 7:00 pm

Sebducks wrote:

The hens do tend to scratch the straw up and the chicks find it hard to navigate over it.

Which looks like this...

Attachment:

toomuchstraw.jpg [ 67.77 KiB | Viewed 2929 times ]

The feed and water are also covered with a layer of straw.

I raked all the straw out a few weeks ago and Brownie and babies have been fine since.

Rufus · **Joined:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:01 pm **Posts:** 1

I have tried this also with the same results nothing more than a big pile of straw. In the end I got fed up and took it out and used fine wood chips which were better but not perfect.

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