Cedar or pine shavings/chips?

[SSO202]

I thought I read some where that the cedar bedding chips were toxic to chickens. Does anyone have any insight on the topic? Should we be using pine chips/shavings instead of cedar chips/shavings? All help is appreciated!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Yes, only use pine. Cedar shavings can be toxic to chickens!

 

[redoak]

I 100 percent agree with equibling

 

[pkeeler]

Don't use hardwood chips either, they will give splinters.

 

[patandchickens]

Cedar (some cedar, anyhow) contains volatile oils that irritate the respiratory tract of chickens and other small close-down-to-their-bedding types of animals. This can predispose to respiratory disease, or in serious cases pose a health problem just by itself.

That said, many people have used cedar shavings for many years (this includes both backyarders, serious poultry hobbyists, and commercial operations) without incident.

Since you don't know which group you will turn out to fall into - them as has problems with it, or them as doesn't - it is probably a lot smarter to avoid cedar.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[SSO202]

Thank you all very much for the comments. I went and spent $6.25 on a 25lb bundle of pine shavings and turned the cedar I had used into my compost pile. I don't know how I didn't hear about cedar before I bought and used it. I spent almost two months on here reading posts before I even got the girls. It is certainly a learning process.

 

[hens@reddirthill]

Just looking for a bit of clarification

I know pine shavings are ok to use for DLM, does that include pine chips (the ones that come out of a chipper)?

I have an unlimited supply of those and it would just make my day to know they could be put to some other use besides mulching the garden.