Tractor supply wood chips for litter?

[Kotiya]

How many chickens are you expecting? When I had 15, I couldn't do the paper towels for more than a day or two. So much work to keep changing them! Once the babies understand to eat the food in the dish and not the wood shavings you can switch. I use those kind of shavings like you describe all the time without any problem. Good luck! Those first weeks are precious!

 

[CorporateGranola]

I put the pine shavings in the brooder first, then covered them with an old bed-sheet to discourage the fuzz-butts from eating their bedding. After 3 or 4 days, I removed the bed-sheet and they had fresh, clean bedding waiting for them.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Yeah, those are pine. The cedar are in smaller bales, cost more and,as pointed out above, you can smell the cedar.

 

[bbowen]

I came here looking for the same thing.

It boggles my mind that they don't indicate the type of wood used. I was guessing it was scrap so it could be a mixture. I've been buying the all Aspen shavings from TSC at nearly twice the price. I guess if this stuff is working for everyone then I'll switch. Cause once I get the girls into the coop the Aspen shavings will add up in price.

On a side note someone bought out all (a whole pallet) of the Dumor lay mash at my TSC and they won't have more until next week! So, I have to travel 50 miles to get some.

 

[ChickenKen]

I bought the same bails from Tractor Supply ... and was surprised that the packaging didn't specify what kind of wood is used.

I can tell you that I'll never go back to any other kind of bedding. Deep litter is the way to go. The house doesn't stink anymore. The wood chips smell great.

I throw some popcorn on the litter from time to time so the girls will scratch and mix it up, keeping it fresh.

 

[featherz]

I have purchased three different kinds of tsc bales - white bag, clear bag and black bag. All appear to be pine. As others have said, cedar is more pricey, it's red in color and has a different smell. Never had a problem with the tsc bales except one I had to toss for mold. (eww)..

 

[givme40acres]

I have delivered some wood shavings to "tractor supply". The ones I've hauled came from Maine and were strictly pine. Happy to see an american made product being used by Americans. THUMBS UP "Tractor Supply".

 

[ChickenMomma4]

I know that when I buy these for my chickens, make sure it says flakes and not shavings. The shavings do have cedar mixed in and cedar is toxic to foul. all foul including chickens. I always get the flakes because they are bigger in size as well and easier to work with and are for my coop 10 by 10 coop I use about 6-7 bags when I do full clean to replace all. Then as time goes by and it wears down I use about 5 bags. Winters here in the north country are colder than normal right now, so thicker bedding is wise to use for colder areas. I love my chickens. I have two penciled feather foots, welsummers, and easter eggers. I did have more, but we lost some due to cold temps, and roosters fighting, and hot temps over this summer, coop got too hot and they got respitory distress. But over all the rest are doing good.
Oh and to mention for just a tip, I use pine only. I found they asorb moisture better. hope this helps.