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#1 11/03/2009 11:26 am
- karengibbo
- New Egg
- From: england
- Registered: 11/01/2009
- Posts: 17
chicken bedding
i have softwood bedding in my coop from the pet shop,as people use it for hamsters,rabbits guinea pigs am guessing this is safe,
Last edited by karengibbo (11/03/2009 1:00 pm)
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#2 11/03/2009 1:02 pm
- A.T. Hagan
- Don't Panic
- From: North/Central Florida
- Registered: 08/13/2007
- Posts: 1693
- Website
Re: chicken bedding
If you mean something like pine shavings it ought to be OK. I favor kiln dried shavings over the air dried as they are less likely to be moldy.
.....Alan.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
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#3 11/03/2009 1:05 pm
- AmyRey
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- Registered: 06/25/2009
- Posts: 389
Re: chicken bedding
Most here say steer clear of cedar shavings, which lots of rabbit and rodent bedding products are. Something about them being irritating to a chicken's respiratory system.
Pine shavings are A-okay though. And you'll probably find vastly better prices at a feed store or Tractor Supply than a pet supply store.
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#4 11/03/2009 1:17 pm
- karengibbo
- New Egg
- From: england
- Registered: 11/01/2009
- Posts: 17
Re: chicken bedding
i live in a small town we only have about 5 pet stores, wouldnt know were theres a tractor store, thanks for the advise anyway
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#5 11/03/2009 1:20 pm
- A.T. Hagan
- Don't Panic
- From: North/Central Florida
- Registered: 08/13/2007
- Posts: 1693
- Website
Re: chicken bedding
For pine shavings check out your local feed stores, particularly those that carry horse feed. They are commonly used for stall litter. You can get them in large compressed bales that way for far less than what a pet store will sell them for.
.....Alan.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
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#6 11/03/2009 1:28 pm
- AmyRey
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- Registered: 06/25/2009
- Posts: 389
Re: chicken bedding
Tractor Supply is a chain in the US, but I'm noticing now that you're not here. Oops!
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#7 11/03/2009 1:56 pm
- txchickie
- Chicken Obsessed
- From: Texas
- Registered: 11/15/2008
- Posts: 1276
Re: chicken bedding
Softwood bedding should be fine! I use cedar and pine with no problems at all.
Wife to a wonderful chicken tolerant husband, mommy to a 4 year old princess and a brand new baby girl, owner of too many dogs, one mean bunny, lots of guineas, and not enough chickens!
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#8 11/03/2009 2:50 pm
- Akane
- True BYC Addict
- Registered: 06/15/2008
- Posts: 4053
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Re: chicken bedding
Bags marked "softwood" are usually spruce sometimes with a mixture of pine. Spruce is even better than pine. It works exactly the same way but dries quicker and has less volatile oils (the stuff that makes cedar toxic and pine potentially dangerous to sensitive animals).
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#9 11/03/2009 2:56 pm
- staceyl
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- Registered: 07/02/2009
- Posts: 161
Re: chicken bedding
Hmm, I actually got Alder yesterday. Is that okay?
I buy mine at the pet supply store too. Yes, its cheaper at the feed store, but the feed store is much further away and I don't go through much.
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#10 11/03/2009 3:11 pm
- Whiteconfections
- Roo's Name is Dorothy
- From: Michigan
- Registered: 07/01/2009
- Posts: 1248
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Re: chicken bedding
karengibbo wrote:
i live in a small town we only have about 5 pet stores, wouldnt know were theres a tractor store, thanks for the advise anyway
Tractor Supply Inc. is a chain store for farmers; maybe you have a Farm and Fleet in England?
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