Sand vs Pine Shavings

[aart]

Check out the thread, Pine Shaving Toxic to Chickens.

Can you find it and post a link.
Not finding that thread title.
Have seen several discussions about it over the years here,
but tho fresh pine flakes are aromatic, they are not nearly as toxic as cedar shavings.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Strongly agree - cedar shavings are BAD. Very very bad for things with anything less than a robust respiratory system. The strong aromatics in pine tend to be concentrated in the red-tinted heartwood. (Us old folk remember "lighter pine" from our youth). The heartwood generally isn't where most pine shavings come from, but rather the much softer, outer, white wood as its chipped and shaped for log making, etc.

The volatile oils in cedar tend to be somewhat more uniformly distributed thru the wood. Additionally, some of the VOCs in cedar are essentially unique to cedar, not present in most other sources of shavings.

 

[Outta Here]

Can you find it and post a link.
Not finding that thread title.
Have seen several discussions about it over the years here,
but tho fresh pine flakes are aromatic, they are not nearly as toxic as cedar shavings.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pine-and-cedar-shavings-are-dangerous.655822/

https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blo...are toxic as,carcinogenic nature of pine dust.

You can Google the topic and it seems most agree cedar shavings are toxic to any living creature, including us. But there is some debate on the toxicity level of pine shavings...

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pine-and-cedar-shavings-are-dangerous.655822/

https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/toxic-chicken-coop-pine-shavings#:~:text=Pine shavings are toxic as,carcinogenic nature of pine dust.

You can Google the topic and it seems most agree cedar shavings are toxic to any living creature, including us. But there is some debate on the toxicity level of pine shavings...

Oh man toxic to humans? I love the smell of cedar.

 

[Outta Here]

I know!!! I have a Native American flute made of cedar that I just love the smell and taste of! But I think they are talking about prolonged exposure (like occupational) to the dust, not the solid wood...

"Prolonged exposure to this substance can cause or aggravate asthma, rhinitis, or conjunctivitis in humans as well as animals. The respiratory condition arising from cedar exposure is termed as Cedar asthma. ... People who use cedar chip sachets in their closet are also likely to get affected by skin irritation and itching."

 

[aart]

EveryAnyThing can be toxic in certain circumstances.

 

[Outta Here]

Well, yes, even water is toxic to your lungs if you leave your face submerged in it more than 5 minutes!!

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Pine smells so wonderful, and many people (including me) have used it for years. But there is evidence that it is toxic. Check out the thread, Pine Shaving Toxic to Chickens. Now I use sand and wonder why I didn't start using it 44 years ago with my first chickens!!! It's sooooo much cleaner and easier to keep clean.
I get free river sand from our desert, but even if I bought it, I wouldn't put it all in at once. I keep a thin layer (maybe 2 inches) and add 2-3 shovelfuls each week, and every couple of months I replace it all from the the sandpile behind the barn.
And I would never use a cat scoop, even on my tiny night coop--I tried it once and said, Phooey to this! and built a screen. I rake with a small rake, then use a dustpan to pour it onto my screen. Then I dump the poop into the compost pile.
It takes me about five minutes every morning to clean (and it's so easy, often I clean before their bedtime, too.). The sand is always dry and without smells. It is coarse enough to not raise dust except when I put the new sand in. And even then, I can eliminate the dust if I shovel it in at ground level instead of throw it in.
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I wish I had free sand near by I could see the sifter being better

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I know!!! I have a Native American flute made of cedar that I just love the smell and taste of! But I think they are talking about prolonged exposure (like occupational) to the dust, not the solid wood...

"Prolonged exposure to this substance can cause or aggravate asthma, rhinitis, or conjunctivitis in humans as well as animals. The respiratory condition arising from cedar exposure is termed as Cedar asthma. ... People who use cedar chip sachets in their closet are also likely to get affected by skin irritation and itching."

We definitely burn cedar in our wood burning stove. Not only cedar because of its oil content but it’s definitely burned inside.

 

[Outta Here]

I wish I had free sand near by I could see the sifter being better

Even a 2'x2' piece of 1/4" wire mesh laid on the floor would work. It's more convenient to have it in a wood frame, of course, so you don't get cut on the edges lifting it and carrying it out to empty.