Cedar shavings vs Pine in Brooder

[Rhawn]

I'm putting my brooder together in anticipation of my new chicks! I've got a ton of cedar shavings from a dog house project that never got used. I know it puts off a smell that some animals don't like, I know my gecko hated it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[NJbirdlover]

No cedar shavings at all! Very bad for chickens respiratory system. Pine and aspen are fine. I have Aspen shavings and pine pellets mixed together and that's working well for me.

WELCOME TO BYC!

 

[Rhawn]

I figured as much, thanks for the response. Back to the pet store!

How deep should I lay the pine shavings? 2-3 inches?

 

[Davaroo]

Shredded paper works, fine leaves or chopped straw, even sand and pea gravel. But no cedar.

 

[NJbirdlover]

Quote:
I think 2-3 is fine. You may want to cover with paper towels for the 1st day until the chicks figure out what's food and what's not.

 

[Rhawn]

I've got a deep brooder thinger going so I can use more if its better. And yep on the paper towels / puppy pads.

 

[joletabey]

Can you use cypress? Or is that as bad as cedar?

 

[NJbirdlover]

Quote:
you have me there....no idea!

 

[walkswithdog]

Cypress and cedar are both aromatic, so in an enclosed brooder environment with all that heat and moisture, and tiny fragile lungs, bad idea.

Some folks say never. .... In my open brooders with older chicks and open pens and in my exceedingly well ventilated coop in spring and summer I add it without worry... I haven't had a problem within those guidelines.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
The problem with cedar is that it contains naptha...the stuff in mothballs and paint thinner. Very bad for bird lungs, especially in a confined area. I'm not sure about cypress, though. Pine is aromatic, too, but it works fine. I think it's not the smell, but the chemical that creates the smell that can be the problem. Until I found a definitive answer I'd probably stick with pine to be on the safe side.

Ed