Cedar chips?

[Avedderflock]

I have access to tons of wood chips but there is a fair amount of cedar mixed in as it dominates the landscape where we work at a park.

I have read somewhere cedar is a no-no but what about a mixture of chips with cedar in them. I was hoping that cedar sawdust would be the no-no and wonder how much would be ingested via the chips vs the sawdust does anyone have any experience with using random wood chips with some cedar in it? Should I absolutely stay away from the chips? What problems does the cedar pose ( so that I may watch for signs ) if I decide to use it? Is it a respiratory thing or bad for the feet/skin??

Any insight on the wood chip scenario would be helpful thanks.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have switched to all cedar chips in the nestboxes to keep away bugs (because you are not supposed to dust or spray pesticide inside nestboxes). It is working out well.

I wouldn't inundate the coop with them, though.

You could buy some pine to dilute it out until there was no cedar odor...I don't know what the repercussions of that healthwise would be for the hens though...it might be too much irritant.

My suggestion would be to use them for your nestboxes.

 

[janinepeters]

I don't use cedar chips but I've been involved in debates about the use of cedar around animals numerous times, not only regarding chickens, but also in the setting of nesting boxes for wild birds and litter used for laboratory animals, so I've read quite a bit about it. I will share my take on it, though I know there are people who see it differently.

The bottom line, in my view, is that there are compounds in cedar, especially western red cedar, which can cause respiratory disease if inhaled, and cancers and deformed offspring if ingested by the mother. While none of the animal studies were done with chickens, it would be prudent to minimize your flock's exposure to cedar dust and fumes.

Cedar wood dust, when directly inhaled or ingested in large quantities, can probably cause disease in chickens. Cedar planks probably do not release the fumes in sufficient quantity to cause disease, so cedar housing is safe. However, chickens do grind up wood chips and shavings, creating some dust, so there may be some risk, especially if your chickens are housed on it constantly. If they get out and free range for a good part of the day, then their exposure to cedar wood dust is less and you might be just fine using the chips for litter. Cutting the cedar with pine, would also reduce exposure, obviously.

So it's a question of exposure level. Cedar litter with chickens on it 'round the clock might be dangerous, but cedar litter in a coop for birds that free range and do their dust bathing and scratching elsewhere, is most likely okay.

 

[blumatablo]

I wouldn't use it because cedar has chemicals that can harm small animals including chickens. I have rabbits and do not use it with them. For my chickens I use straw and unharmful wood shavings which seems to work well.

 

[Avedderflock]

well I have access to hay but I hear about pitfalls with that as well. Bugs inside the stocks etc. Im drying the chips right now and YES my girls are out from 8am to 9pm so Id like to give this a go. I have access to straw as well so Im up for alternatives for cheap coop fill. Id rather clean lots if its plentiful but realize that if its not opportune I may have to adjust my timing and medium accordingly but this is plentiful so I hope it will be fine. I will keep you all posted !

 

[janinepeters]

I think you'll be fine. I should add that while cedar is the most irritating to the lungs (at least in humans -- no studies have been done with chickens), inhalation of lot of ANY kind of wood dust can cause lung disease....Saw mill workers know this quite well. So the use of pine shavings for litter, which is very common, is only marginally better.

 

[Avedderflock]

Thank you very much! I have it inside the coop and I will post a pic of the material and how things progress just for info purposes. I have a good source for the material and I hope to use it year round. We have quite a wet season here in BC and they may have to have an alternate scorce for those wetter months which now has me thinking of those months and how I will manage my flock with a small coop and such wet weather outside,.... I maybe heard chickens don't mind the cold too much but really don't like the cold and dampness, does anyone have any rainy period suggestions on how to keep them occupied and outside foraging in these conditions?

Thanks for everyones help thus far

Glenn

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you very much! I have it inside the coop and I will post a pic of the material and how things progress just for info purposes. I have a good source for the material and I hope to use it year round. We have quite a wet season here in BC and they may have to have an alternate scorce for those wetter months which now has me thinking of those months and how I will manage my flock with a small coop and such wet weather outside,.... I maybe heard chickens don't mind the cold too much but really don't like the cold and dampness, does anyone have any rainy period suggestions on how to keep them occupied and outside foraging in these conditions?

Thanks for everyones help thus far

Glenn

I am in the Pac NW too- on the USA side. My chickens LOVE to go out as long as it is just the misty rain and not a downpour. I put up little shelters for them- like pallets elevated on concrete blocks (which also serve as hawk deterrent shelters) so they can get out of the rain. You really have to worry about silkies if you have them- they get SOAKED and cold (but they will use shelters if you give them some).

 

[ScottN73]

Try cross cut shredded paper. Its soft in the lay boxes for the eggs and it clumps nicely to messy poops. It's very easy to sweep up or to shop vac when your ready to give the girls a fresh area. I find it to work very nicely with the deep litter method. Best of all it's free if you have a paper shredder or someone you know does! Most people just throw their shredded paper out!