coop substrate

[plreef]

What do you guy/gals use as a substrate in your coops? Currntly I'm useing pine shavings. My friend works for a tree service Co. and he can get me all the wood chips I want. Does anyone use them?

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

I use pine shavings too.

 

[crazychicken]

i use pine or cedar shavings whatever is available and cheapest since my parents pay for it

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Would the shavings you get from your friend be dried? If not, that could be a problem.

 

[plreef]

No their fresh cut chips. Too much moisture hu. I didnt think about that.

 

[callen0912]

i use pine or cedar shavings whatever is available and cheapest since my parents pay for it /img/smilies/hmm.png

Just so you know you shouldn't use pine shavings as they are harmful to birds respiratory systems.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not pine shavings, cedar shavings. Pine and aspen shavings are fine and are used by a whole lot of people.

Cedar shavings give off fumes that can harm chickens respiratory systems if it is concentrated enough. Cedar wood is often used in furniture used to store clothing because it keeps insects out that might otherwise eat the clothing. Cedar wood is OK to build coops if you have good ventilation, but cedar shavings have a whole lot more surface area so they give off a lot more shavings. How big a risk they pose depends a little bit on how fresh they are (though they give off fumes for a long time) and how well they are ventilated. Since they pose a risk I consider good practice and a reasonable precaution to not use cedar shavings.

I would not use cedar wood to build a nest either, especially if it is an enclosed nest.

Birds’ respiratory systems are more sensitive than human’s systems. That’s why miners take canaries underground with them. If the bird dies the air is bad and it is time to get out.

 

[callen0912]

Not pine shavings, cedar shavings. Pine and aspen shavings are fine and are used by a whole lot of people.

Cedar shavings give off fumes that can harm chickens respiratory systems if it is concentrated enough. Cedar wood is often used in furniture used to store clothing because it keeps insects out that might otherwise eat the clothing. Cedar wood is OK to build coops if you have good ventilation, but cedar shavings have a whole lot more surface area so they give off a lot more shavings. How big a risk they pose depends a little bit on how fresh they are (though they give off fumes for a long time) and how well they are ventilated. Since they pose a risk I consider good practice and a reasonable precaution to not use cedar shavings.

I would not use cedar wood to build a nest either, especially if it is an enclosed nest.

Birds’ respiratory systems are more sensitive than human’s systems. That’s why miners take canaries underground with them. If the bird dies the air is bad and it is time to get out.

thanks for the correction! I meant to write cedar. Not sure why I didn't!

 

[PapaChaz]

yeah I was gonna say not to use cedar instead of pine, but see that RR already fixed it for ya

 

[PapaChaz]

it always amazes me on a forum/message board there are some people who never search for thier topic and just start a new thread, and then there are people who search and read everything (which is good) but respond to threads that are years old, LOL GUILTY!!!