Question about cedar coop

[aubreynoramarie]

Quote:
This article references human studies about cedar fumes as a respiratory irritant.

http://www.trifl.org/cedar.shtml

Chickens like all birds have much more efficient respiratory systems than we do, so they are more vulnerable to airborne toxins. Remember the canary in the coal mine?

I don't think anyone here is saying cedar fumes are worse than paint fumes. Of course you should never put your chickens back inside a freshly painted coop if it still smells of paint. That's risky, too.

An experienced poultry keeping friend of mine also uses a small bit of cedar shavings under pine shavings in his nest boxes in the summer to deter mites. A little bit won't hurt, but a lot (a whole coop full) is quite a different matter. But think about it: why do the cedar shavings deter insects in the first place? It's because the oils are irritants and toxic.

I willingly eat my words.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It is the volatile oils that are the problem. Volatile means "they evaporate readily". They are what your nose is registering as cedar's distinctive smell.

It is debatable how big or frequent a problem they are for chickens, but it is probably reasonable to say that it is safER to avoid them when possible since it is known that *in some situations* they can cause problems.

Pat