Cedar shavings for nest box?

[BackFatBarbie]

Any consensus here on using cedar shavings in the next box? Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

My suggestion is do not use cedar shavings. Cedar givers off a vapor that is a pesticide. “Hope” chests were traditionally made from cedar because it keeps certain moths and other bugs away.

I don’t have a problem using cedar as lumber in a well ventilated area but in confined spaces that vapor can build up. Many nests are pretty confined. Chickens, like many birds, have a fairly delicate respiratory system.

Another factor is that shavings present a whole lot more surface area for those vapors to escape from. You are going to get a whole lot more vapor release from a pound of cedar shavings than from a cedar board that weighs more than a pound because of the difference in surface are.

To me it is not worth the risk. I would not do it.

 

[Mini Meat]

My suggestion is do not use cedar shavings. Cedar givers off a vapor that is a pesticide. “Hope” chests were traditionally made from cedar because it keeps certain moths and other bugs away.

I don’t have a problem using cedar as lumber in a well ventilated area but in confined spaces that vapor can build up. Many nests are pretty confined. Chickens, like many birds, have a fairly delicate respiratory system.

Another factor is that shavings present a whole lot more surface area for those vapors to escape from. You are going to get a whole lot more vapor release from a pound of cedar shavings than from a cedar board that weighs more than a pound because of the difference in surface are.

To me it is not worth the risk. I would not do it.

X2

I would consider grass hay over any shavings. I find the birds prefer it and it protects the eggs better. Shaving displace too easily.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

True Cedars, not the Junipers that are called cedars, are ok to use. Atlas cedar , Deodar cedar, Cedar of Lebanon are the true Cedars. Western cedar (solid red wood) and Eastern cedar (White sap wood with bright red heart wood) are members of the Juniper family and not true cedars (these two are often referred to as false cedar), they have fragrant oils that are used to keep insects out of clothing and so are used as the wood to make hope chests and cedar closets. Try standing inside a cedar closet for a while, your eyes will be irritated and you may even find it hard to breathe. This is the same effect cedar shavings will have on chooks.

Don't use the juniper cedar shavings anywhere around your chickens, it has very irritant properties to chickens and can even affect their respiratory system. A good test is to grab up a handful and take a deep sniff, if it irritates you, it will irritate the chooks.

Pine is ok but as has been mentioned, straw or hay are better choices with less getting strewn about.