[lord flynn]

I am in the process of making a wooden brooder from a crate. I've always used the grip mats before, until they are a couple of weeks old and then I move to easibed. I chucked the last lot of stuff out however and was wondering if there's a less labour intensive way than washing the mat? I was thinking along the lines of corrugated cardboard and just composting it afterwards? I know it'll work out more expensive but my time is money

any other ideas?

[suziequeue]

Yes - we use corrugated cardboard and compost it. I don't think it's money wasted because nothing's wasted at the end of the day.......

[HesterF]

Sounds perfect - you could probably find a source of free cardboard from somewhere (our animal feed comes in boxes and a guy down the road who runs a mail order plant business uses all the boxes again - win, win). 

I use carpet in the little boxes they first go into but it's quite slippery and the ducks and geese struggle for the first couple of days so maybe I should try cardboard.

H

[Mammyshaz]

I have only hatched 2 lots in the last 2 years so little experience.

I use an indoor guinea pig cage with newspaper then an inch of shavings. In the first week I used cheap kitchen paper roll but upside down as it has no glaze so less slippy. I replace the dirty strips of kitchen roll twice dailyand replace but leave everything else. At the end of the first week i just remove the kitchen roll and they are fine on the shavings. The kitchen roll soaks up any moisture so the shavings seem fine for the first week.
It can just be composted with everything else.

I find it all downhill after that, cleaning the cage constantly, especially when they are pooping more than they eat   

[Steph Hen]

I was visiting a breeder couple years ago and all of their chicks were on weld mesh so the mess dropped through the holes and could be swept away. Figured I'd move to this eventually but it's not cheap for the good thick stuff (much thicker than chicken wire!) so this has gone on hold. I liked that they can't scratch about in it and pick at bits of dried poop and stuff, all their feeding efforts are focused on actual food. 

At the moment I use cardboard with a layer of sawdust, and for first couple of days, with a layer of paper towel over it while they find their feet.
I don't like cardboard much, if there's not enough shavings on top it's too smooth and slippery. It absorbs moisture and goes soft or mouldy if I spill a drinker or something. Maybe corrugated cardboard is better.

[Stereo]

Last lot we just put them straight into the brooder on shavings. All are doing fine at 3 weeks. Ours is a pallet crate and perfect for about 20 chicks up to going outside. If we have a small lot we have them indoors for a few days in a converted plastic storage box and use old towels which we can fold in half and turn each day.