OH geeez... been using pine shavings and for a month and some weeks.. uh oh? :s

[undine]

Did i make a big no-no mistake?? The bad says wood shaving, and nothing else. Ive been using this for my day old chicks since they arrived and up to now, and theyre 7 weeks old. Lmao.. it was so obvs they were pine shavings snice i noticed a heavy woody perfume fume from it, but i didnt give it much attention because it didnt seem to be hurting my chicks EXTERNALLY..I didnt think about the internal damage.. Will be chickens get a respiratory disease in the future??

 

[RRIRMom]

I used kilned (dried) pine shavings since the feed store was using it. Just never use cedar or treated wood shavings. You may like sand better, check it out. (don't use playground sand...too fine and dusty) I used 30# commercial grade and a food strainer to clean the droppings when they got older. If I were to do it again, I would use the sand method. But there are just as many who swear by pine shavings/straw method.

 

[undine]

I used kilned (dried) pine shavings since the feed store was using it. Just never use cedar or treated wood shavings. You may like sand better, check it out. (don't use playground sand...too fine and dusty) I used 30# commercial grade and a food strainer to clean the droppings when they got older. If I were to do it again, I would use the sand method. But there are just as many who swear by pine shavings/straw method.

Thanks, but wouldnt the chicken be eating the rocks/sand?

 

[RRIRMom]

I am surprised to see sometimes my older pullets eating it, but chickens eat rocks. Sand I am talking about is approx. size of a grain of salt, or a bit larger. Next time in HomeDepot or Lowes, check it out...they always have broken bags and/or spillage on the floor. Mother hen on her walks would teach the chicks to scratch, hunt bugs, eat seeds, and grit (dirt/sand/small rocks). Chickens don't chew their food and need rocks to do it for them. Chicks if feeding chick feed do not need grit, only when they eat bugs, grass, leaves, and when changing from chick feed. Any one else out there can add to this comment?

 

[BantamLover21]

No, you didn't make a mistake. Pine shavings are fine to use for chickens; I myself use them. Pine shavings, along with sand, are probably the best beddings to use for raising chicks.

The only shavings that you should stay away from are extremely aromatic ones, like Cedar, as those are known to irritate chicken respiratory tracts. Also, don't use slippery beddings like newspaper, as that can cause splayed legs. Sometimes, though, when chicks are young, I cover the shavings with a paper towel. This helps the chicks learn how to eat chick feed, and not the bedding. When they have successfully learned how to eat, I remove the paper towels (by that time, they are getting dirty quickly), and let the shavings be the only bedding that the chicks have.

 

[Whoops]

Are pine shavings bad? I thought it was cedar shavings that were too aromatic for them.

 

[BantamLover21]

Are pine shavings bad? I thought it was cedar shavings that were too aromatic for them.

You are correct. Cedar shavings, due to their aromatic nature, have been proven to be somewhat harmful to chicks. However, I've never heard of pine shavings having the same problem.

 

[donrae]

Pine shavings are fine. I love the smell of a fresh bale dumped out!

Eating some sand is also fine. It would act like grit for the chicks, and just pass right out.

Chicks also often taste or eat a shaving or two. That's fine.

 

[undine]

hahaha thats good to know thanks guys. Although i am stilll unsure...Ive read a lot of posts from people saying to stay away from cedar and pine because both gives off aromas annndd theyre both bad for baby chicks.

 

[OliverZoe]

I used and still use pine shavings for my chickens with no problems!!! even in the brooder and they were all fine