Southern States Wood Pellets ok for bedding?

[donnavee]

I am expecting a batch of 6 chicks from MPC tomorrow and getting the brooder all ready today. I bought a bag of Southern States Premium Pellet bedding wanting to try the pellets over the wood shavings I used last year. On the bag it says "Made from the finest quality soft wood from the Mid Atlantic" but doesn't identify the type of wood. I know cedar is bad and I have opened the bag but can't decide if it smells like pine or cedar. The smell is definitely stronger than the shavings I normnally use. It is sold as horse bedding.

Does anyone know if it is OK to use for chicks?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I do not use pellets but maybe someone will see this who does.


Enjoy the babies!

 

[corliss]

I use something called Woody Pet which is recommended for all sorts of animals (rabbits, chickens, etc.). It is the closest thing our feed store sells to horse pellets which are compressed pine. I can't say what yours are, of course, but the pine pellets are too big for chickens to eat easily. If you look up horse pellets you may find some discussions here on using them over pine shavings. People were so enthusiastic about them that I tried them instead of pine shavings right from the start and I have become a big proponent. The chicks don't eat them, they don't seem to make very much dust or break down quickly and they are highly absorbent. I had my six 2-week old chicks on one bag of Woody Pet for a week before we even had to think about cleaning (and you still couldn't smell anything).

 

[BamaChicken]

I saw these used in a type of TS place out in Oregon for their chicks they were selling. It was equine pine pellets. When I returned home I bought a bag and put them in the bottom of a paste board box I am using in the Laundry room for brooding them for a few weeks. They did smell stronger than I expected but I have had no problem with them and the chicks. I love them. No dust, No smell. I just got the scoop and shoveled it into a bucket and the bottom of the box was noteven damp. Replaced them after a week and here we go. Here are some two week and 1 week olds that have been on them since they hatched.

 

[BamaChicken]

I did buy mine at the Tractor Suppy store here locally.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I am using the Equine wood pellets from TSC for my chicks. No problems thus far.

Good Luck!

 

[donnavee]

Thanks for your responses. I did call the manufacturer and they assured me the pellets are made from pine. My chicks arrived safely on Tuesday and I still have them on paper towels, but I think I'll remove them today and see how they do on the pellets.

 

[cherryvalleychicks]

My girls are on these pine pellets too. My chicks seem to be pecking at them-when they get droppings on them they'll peck at the droppings and then they end up breaking some of the pellets and I'm pretty sure they end up eating some of the broken down pellets. They'll also scratch all over the place and in that process they are getting these pellets into their water. Last night we went to bed and their water was good, got up early this morning and it was full of the pellets~ to the point that they can't get much water.

Anyone else have this happen? And should we take the pellets out and switch to something else? After seeing what the pellets do in the water (swell) I don't think this stuff can be good for their stomachs.

 

[BamaChicken]

Get a small board and put their water on it out of the pellets. Mine have been on them two weeks with not problems. They would eat shavings particles too when they were on them

 

[donnavee]

I did take the paper towels up and they have been on the pellets all morning. They did peck at them a little, but for the most part are too big for them to eat. I elevated their water and so far no pellets in it. I used pine shavings last year and was totally freaked at the amout of shavings they ate and kicked in their water, but they all survived. In fact, I still use shavings in the hen house and they still sometimes eat them. So far I like the pellets better than the shavings for the babies. Some folks have recommended sand - I imagine that would be very easy to clean out the poop.