Pine pellet bedding for babie chicks PLEASE COMMENT

[Blueroo63]

I want to make sure I hear alot of folks talking about how bad cerad shaving are for chicks ,but can anyone tell me will they be ok with the pressed pine pellets as bedding and to help control odor thanks so very much

 

[ranchhand]

I've never seen them, are they like the ones for cat litter? Or woodstove fuel?

One of my best friends is from Quitman.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Yes, they are wood stove pellets but can be used for cat litter, etc. Our vet uses them and I did for awhile but my cats didn't really like them. I didn't use them for my little babies but I did when they got older (4+ weeks). The shavings were getting everywhere and driving me crazy. I never had any problems with using shavings or the pellets. It took them awhile to get used to the pellets though. They didn't want to step on them, lol.

 

[Blueroo63]

yea thanks ,the new hatches aren't on them but the week and up babie I have on a thin layer help them also get there feet and thank you so much.they are the stove size pellets not the little bitty ones afaid they might try and eat those thanks again Glenda

 

[addicted2chicks]

Don't use the cedar shavings with or without the pine pellets. Cedar can be toxic to your chicks so don't use it at all.
Someone posted on here just the other day that they spray the pine pellets to loosen them up then crumble them for the bedding and makes it softer.
I have used the pine pellets for cat litter and wasn't impressed myself. But was wondering this morning about using The Worlds best cat litter as bedding for chicks as it is made of corn.

 

[ranchhand]

I thought about World's Best as bedding for chicks, but I think they'll eat it. Not good. I also used the pine pellets for the cats, and the cats went on a very messy strike.

If the pine pellets are not scented, and contain no fuel/quick start additives, they might be ok. The footing would be pretty wobbly, though, for chicks.

If you can wrap the bottom of the brooder with cardboard around the outside, it will help contain the shavings. We are all facing the same issue- chicks are MESSY!

 

[Akane]

World's best is just overpriced corn cob bedding. You can get it dirt cheap at most feedstores and a little more expensive at petstores. It's not the best stuff though. Pellets would work better. I tried a bag of the wood pellets we use in the horse stalls for this last batch and they do work alright. I always used to put a layer of shavings over them for the guinea pigs because I would imagine it's about like sleeping on gravel and it seems pointless to wet it down into sawdust when one of the main purposes to use them is their absorbency while in pellet form. You might as well go get a load of cheap fine sawdust if your going to do that and save yourself a bunch of money.

Pine shavings are ok for bedding. They still have some phenols which is the toxic compound found in cedar and other softwood shavings. Kiln dried is better because they are dried under heat and it helps remove some of the phenols. Pine pellets being more heavily treated have even less phenols. I would completely avoid any cedar product in a brooder or other poorly ventilated space to avoid building up the oils and potentially causing health problems. Personally I won't use cedar anywhere near any animals even in a well ventilated large area.