Did I waste my money?

[MarylouBunny]

That I did read before purchasing lol. But nothing about the chickens.

Absolutely not, they have sand and regular bedding. Thanks!

 

[MarylouBunny]

My hens like to go into the big trees behind my house and scratch around in the fallen leaves. Perfectly happy there. so why not put them into the area around their coop. Not into the coop but in their yard.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Hi all. So yesterday I went out and spent almost $100.00 towards my chickens run. Now I'm questioning if I wasted my money, and may even be harming my babies.

The cedar you bought will be fine. Leave it outside where it is. The birds will scratch it all over the place in short order anyway. From now on, buy plain white pine shavings. Safe and cheap. As for the plants, take them out and plant them *outside* the run. The chickens will dig them up, eat them, destroy them so that would indeed be wasting your money. Outside in the yard they will be safer but anything in the run itself will not survive short of a solid log.

 

[Jac Jac]

Hi all. So yesterday I went out and spent almost $100.00 towards my chickens run. Now I'm questioning if I wasted my money, and may even be harming my babies. The problem is there is so much conflicting information out there. My run is 20x10 half coveted, half uncovered. So here are my questions:
1). I purchased 4 bags of Virgin Cedar Mulch, after reading it can't have any coloring to it so I spreading it all nicely around my covered side of my run then decided to triple check safety. I saw a site that said it is NOT safe around chickens. What is true safe or unsafe, do I need to go out and rake up 4 bags of mulch before I let my girls out for the day?
2). I bought 3 plants to go inside the run for the not covered side for some shade. 2 Nortwind Switch Grass and 1 Adagio Grass plant because the guy advised me they were hardy for my area and I would have to replace them every year. I have read several articles saying ornate grass plants are safe, are mine?
3) Also I have read fern plant are safe too, but are all breeds? There are around 5 different names of ferns here and wanted to get a Queen Fern.
Thank!!!

Are your shavings kiln-dried? That seems to be a key issue for my flocks' sensitive natures.

 

[Cryss]

Are your shavings kiln-dried? That seems to be a key issue for my flocks' sensitive natures.

Cedar is toxic to chickens because their respiratory systems are nothing like ours. They can't expel gases that they inhale. Each breath goes through several sets of lungs before it reaches the final lung and is expelled. Don't use cedar shavings.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Some people just use sand, but wet sand is no fun either. Chickens hate wet anything. We have a monsoon season in AZ, and I have not kept chickens in that, being from California. Planning nice piles of pine needles and peat moss in hope of keeping on top of the water!

I have seen peat moss sold around here, what exactly is it (what consistency: shavings, mulch). No pine needs sold yet that I have seen.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Cedar is toxic to chickens. Every article I have read states so. Also you check the Hatcheries websites and all say do not use cedar shavings because they are toxic to chickens.

I know enclosed is not safe, this is in an open outside run. They have been doing great and it is starting to break down already ask bought the non chunk stuff.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Every chicken book I’ve read says cedar is toxic, also fine pine shavings and hay are no-nos. Hope this helps.

Thank you.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

My hens like to go into the big trees behind my house and scratch around in the fallen leaves. Perfectly happy there. so why not put them into the area around their coop. Not into the coop but in their yard.

Nothing outside around my run is safe from my husband's mower. LOL

 

[Kiki]

I have seen peat moss sold around here, what exactly is it (what consistency: shavings, mulch). No pine needs sold yet that I have seen.

Dirt.


This is peat moss.

ETA. I call it fluffy dirt but it's not quit dirt.
https://www.epicgardening.com/peat-moss/