Pine toxicity?!

[David61]

If it's on the internet it must be true. right? LOL I'm not buying what they are selling here.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I use pine shavings routinely and pine straw (fallen needles) in the spring when our tree produces enough. I've never had any incidents. I also use wood shavings from my workshop that are slightly smaller than wood chips but not too fine in the nesting boxes because the hens cant scratch it out as easily and therefore some cushion remains for dropping eggs. They are a mix of whatever species of wood i happen to be working with from oak, maple, birch, pine, poplar, etc.

My free range flock has access to many "toxic" plants in the environment as well. Yet no issue. They seem to know which to avoid.
Take the word "toxic" with a grain of salt. Many if not most things toxic to your chickens require unrealistic amounts to be consumed or exposure times longer than the average bird lives. So when you hear that something is toxic, dont worry. Dig a little deeper and see if its really a concern or not.

 

[L0rraine]

A couple of years ago I tried using pine shavings with an under layer of soft wood bedding pellets, because they work so well in our two horse stalls. I’ve had huge success and even do the same in the nest boxes and have lovely clean eggs to collect every day. I’m guessing different housing and climate situations favor different types of bedding. I have covered ‘safe’ runs adjoining most of my housing and they’ve also stayed much tidier for me with this method.

I resisted pine shavings for years because I heard it might not be healthy - but then read somewhere that good ventilation is key to reducing toxicities.

 

[PopoMyers]

After reading the research article on Featherbrain, found that the author is an Amazon associate who makes profit if we buy from his link. Also, in looking at all his resources, noticed that the studies were mostly done on humans who work in the lumber industry, and in rats and mice whose little noses and burrowing instincts bring them in very close proximity to the dusts and fumes 24/7 in a laboratory cage. My chickens kick up a lot of dust when dirt bathing, and only spend time in the coop to lay eggs and roost. No playing around in there. I try to put wood ash in the holes in their yard (run) to help control mites, or other such pests. No telling what they are breathing in as they scratch around and fluff the dirt cloud. Our soil is very sandy as well. I do hear my girls sneeze every now and then. I would too from the dirt dust they kick about. Will still use pine shavings, which I believe has less dust. Hay is harder to manage, IMHO, and if it gets moldy, well, there is the mold spore problem. TSC bag says low dust, and I prefer the larger flake. That's my 2 cents.

 

[CKfarm22]

I’m researching coop bedding for my first batch of chickies, coming in April, and was shocked to come across...this?!

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

I’d never heard pine could be toxic, but this seems very thoroughly researched. I’m putting it out there not to argue for or against it (I just now discovered it, and I don’t even have chickens yet, so I’m not in a position to take a stand), but rather just to share new information with anyone here who, like me, is trying to learn about bedding.

I use pine shavings and haven’t had a problem. I saw another posts where a lady got a big bag ground up coffee from tractor supply and used that. I had heard from a lady from our local chick supply store that straw hay isn’t good because it can turn moldy and it’s not good for chickens ( not sure how accurate that is).

 

[cavemanrich]

I had heard from a lady from our local chick supply store that straw hay isn’t good because it can turn moldy and it’s not good for chickens ( not sure how accurate that is).

Not sure what straw hay is, but I use Alfalfa, or Timothy , and never had a mold issue.
My coop is dry. inside. What gets dragged out into run area, does get wet with some rain. It dries, and no mold there ether.

 

[CKfarm22]

Not sure what straw hay is, but I use Alfalfa, or Timothy , and never had a mold issue.
My coop is dry. inside. What gets dragged out into run area, does get wet with some rain. It dries, and no mold there ether.

I meant to put straw or hay haha. Straw i think is okay to use. But hay is not good for chickens, it is too “green” and tends to hoard mold and bacteria which is not good for a chickens health.

 

[cavemanrich]

I meant to put straw or hay haha. Straw i think is okay to use. But hay is not good for chickens, it is too “green” and tends to hoard mold and bacteria which is not good for a chickens health.

Everyone decides what is best for their flocks. There is no one correct answer. Since I have been using what works for me, I will continue, and not switch.
All my pet chickens live long lives. My oldest lived 13 years. another was 11 when crossed over the Rainbow bridge. Many of my hens reached 8 or 9 years also. My current oldest living hen is just over 9 years old. She was molting in this pix, and is not a NN, but a RIR.

 

[CKfarm22]

Everyone decides what is best for their flocks. There is no one correct answer. Since I have been using what works for me, I will continue, and not switch.
All my pet chickens live long lives. My oldest lived 13 years. another was 11 when crossed over the Rainbow bridge. Many of my hens reached 8 or 9 years also. My current oldest living hen is just over 9 years old. She was molting in this pix, and is not a NN, but a RIR.
View attachment 2792447
View attachment 2792444

I agree, was just stating what has been working for me. Been thinking about switching to sand but still not sure

 

[cavemanrich]

I agree, was just stating what has been working for me. Been thinking about switching to sand but still not sure

If you try sand,,, opt for course sand, and the washed variety is less dusty.
On another thread that I followed, a person tried sand. They lived in a very humid area I think somewhere in Louisiana. Sand did not perform well for them. Switched back to pine shavings.
I do have some sand in my run area. It is in a covered portion of run, that does not get exceedingly wet. Sand drains well/quickly even when in wet area of run.