Making your own wood shavings?

[phishless13]

Anyone on here figured out a way to make there own shavings for bedding. They are getting pricey. Almost $6 a bag and I am trying to be as self sufficient and frugal as possible. Any help would be wonderful. Thanks....

 

[Folly's place]

Start woodworking! Sorry, I thought this was funny. Shavings are cheap! Sawmills and tree trimmers will have chips and sawdust, both NOT appropriate or safe bedding, depending on the tree species. Straw can be used, but shavings are better. You can gather fallen leaves and dry out grass clippings, both can work very well at no cost. And

. mary

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Put that wood chipper in your avatar to work?
The way to "make" shavings would be to collect and process raw materiel - ie wood, such as trees. The process and time involved, though, would likely be entirely cost inefficient compared to the cost of purchasing a bag of shavings. How many bags of shavings are you going through? Are you using them in multiple coops? There may be ways to change your methods of chicken keeping that would reduce the cost by reducing the amount of shavings you go through.

 

[donrae]

Where are you buying them and how much volume are you getting? I see folks buying shavings at pet stores and I cringe, they're horribly expensive. At the very least buy them from a farm/ranch/feed store. I pay around $10 for 11 cubic feet compressed.

Look around for sawmills, put ads on CL things like that. Contact tree services to see about getting shavings. Look at other materials to use that may be less expensive such as straw, leaves, pine needles, etc. And finally, go to the deep litter method. I have a large coop and only add shavings maybe twice a year, two of the large bags usually do it each time. Including straw for the muddy run, my yearly bedding costs are less than $50, and that's for dozens of birds.