I thought cedar was a no-no? I'm reading a book, and the author uses cedar chips. Not an old book, either.
Many people do use cedar chips. For the first while I used organic, non treated cedar chips but I found it stayed soggy and even molded. So, I'm going with sand with just a bit of pine shavings in the nest box.
I raised my chicks on cedar shavings, and fill my nestboxes with cedar shavings. In this hot, humid climate, I use everything I can to prevent bugs. My coop is entirely open, so ventilation isn't a problem. Chickens should always have good ventilation, no matter what bedding you use. No, cedar shavings aren't some kind of poison. I suppose it's conceivable that baby chicks could get too much cedar fumes, if kept tightly enclosed under hot lights. My chicks had plenty of ventilation, so I don't know. Heck, my chickens try to eat the shavings, when I change the nests! And they're not dead yet!
