Is Pine Dangerous to Chickens?

[cjp4]

I have just completed a new coop for my girls with plans to add to the flock. In researching bedding for the coop, I had planned on sand but am not completely sold, I found an article on Pine Bedding being toxic. See link below. I am open to suggestions as I am looking for the safest for the girls as well as the easiest to maintain (As if anything is really easy).


https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/toxic-chicken-coop-pine-shavings

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've used pine shavings for decades. I would use whatever substrate works best for you set up. Just don't use cedar bedding.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I've used pine needles as brooder bedding and for chicken nests. It's always been perfectly fine

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pine Shavings are completely safe, it's Cedar Shavings which are toxic to chickens.

 

[FrostRanger]

I use pine in the coop and there are pine trees absolutely everywhere here so they are exposed to pine no matter what. Never had an issue and very many other have used pine without any sort of issues. As @oldhenlikesdogs said, just avoid cedar and you're good

 

[Ridgerunner]

You may have noticed that no matter what you propose to use or do about something someine always find something wrong with it. Often with "studies". We keep chickens in so many different circumstances with different management techniques that it should not be a surprise that some people have issues. Often those issues have nothing to do with your bedding choice but you have to have something to blame.

People use wood shavings, wood chips, hay, straw, grass clippings, dirt, sand, dried leaves, and who knows what else. Some people turn their coop floor into a compost pile including garden and kitchen wastes. If you can keep the moisture level low enough and have sufficient ventilation almost anything will work. If ventilation is poor and/or moisture levels are too high you can have issues with practically anything.

Cedar gives off fumes that can harm a chicken's respiratory system. You can use some cedar wood in coop construction if you have tremendous ventilation but I'd be careful and not use fresh cedar. Cedar can work in fences as long as they are not enclosed. Again, great ventilation. But if you shave cedar into shavings you create a lot of surface area so it can give off a lot of fumes.

Like many others I use pine shavings without any problems. My coop is well ventilated. I keep it dry. I could probably use many different things without issues.

 

[Debbie292d]

Our bedding for the coops (for nine years) and brooders is horse bedding pellets which is 100% compressed pine.

Hubby once accidentally bought cedar shavings for the chinchilla cage. He opened the bag before I caught him. We use those in the winter to start the wood furnace.

 

[nuthatched]

Pine is fine. Cedar can cause issues, but not in a well ventilated coop.
Blogs are rife with sensationalism