I need an alternative for pine shavings...any advise?

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

For some of my chickens i use straw or orchard grass hay in the nest boxes and coop. Which i get depends on the time of year and softness. Sometimes the hay is very stiff, like twigs, in that case i will buy the straw. i get whichever is softest. Straw is cheapest so the best solution if the bale is soft. For my hens brooding chicks, i line their nest with the hay or straw. i think it works better than pine shavings. The little chicks seem to manage just fine tromping around on it.

 

[IggiMom]

I have often used hay and it works ok.

Catherine

 

[cybercat]

If you look in your yellow pages for a wood stove seller you can buy hard wood pellets. These are not made out of pine so should be OK for you. I know TSC sells them also but the also sell the Equine fresh which is made out of pine. So make sure you ask for wood stove pellets not house bedding. These are real cheap to buy like $5 for 40lbs. They work great for chicks, mine are on them now.

 

[cw]

i have used both straw and hay it works just fine. plus the chicks like to eat and scratch around for the seeds

 

[justmeandtheflock]

Quote:
If you have been around pine before with no issue are you SURE that is the problem? Could you be allergic to the CHICKS????

NO!!!!!!!!!!!! This would be very bad

 

[Gonzo]

look up Dawn on the farm on the users list. She uses Sand, and has a link about using it. I think she just scoops it out with a cat litter scoop, and it's suspossed to be nice.

 

[BigPeep]

I have numerous allergy problems and chemical sensitivities and am actually on disability for it. You may have a mold allergy. If the shavings had become wet and developed mold that could explain why you didn't react before. ALso, the more exposure to you have to something, the more sensitive you can get. You develop a hair trigger. It may be that you have always been allergic but you went over the line.

I give myself shots twice a week. I didn't used to be able to be around hay at all and now I can tolerate it so long as it is not in a confined space. I still can't go anywhere near straw. For me I get asthma attacks so I m not just talking about itchey eyes and sneezing. Wood shavings and sawdust are a bit bothersome but not too much so I use them on the chickens.

If you can find out everything you are allergic to and start to eliminate at least some of them, you can reduce the "total load" on your system and you may find you can tolerate the wood shavings again. This may include food allergies of which you are not even aware. I would see an allergist and get some testing done.

I would recommend that you go on the website for the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and see if they have an allergist member near you. There are two different schools of thought on the allergy testing and shots. The more prevalent requires you to go the allergist for the shots but the other develops a more precise set of dosages for you so you can give the shots to yourself at home. Sounds yukky but, especially if it turns out you have a feather allergy, it could make the difference in whether you can keep the birds or not.

You may want to start wearing a mask when you go around the chickens and perhaps gloves when you handle them. You might also want to keep a separate set of clothes near the coop that you change out of before you go back in the house. Again, it may take a lot of the fun out of it for you but I have learned to live with it.

 

[elmo]

I've been using paper towels in the indoors brooder, and in their daytime pen outdoors on our porch, a large towel that I brush off and wash everyday. I have to replace the paper towels severa times a day.

I have pine shavings under the towel, but I've seen my chicks pecking at the shavings and I'm nervous that they'll consume too much if I leave them on the shavings.

 

[IggiMom]

Elmo, this bothers me also, but so far they have not, apparently, because they are all thriving.

Catherine

 

[gretchenhau]

I use Hay or straw. It is easier than the shavings, that give me blinding headaches, the carefresh is very expensive. I like the hay and straw in the winter for insulating the cold floor also.