uh oh...

[rosyposyosy]

when we built the coop we were just starting out with chickens. we spent like $400 on the coop with wood, insulation, chicken wire, miscellaneous. i just found out today that chickens cant handle cedar? well thats what are coop is made of...

 

[justusnak]

Hmmmmmm, IM not sure....I hope someone with more knowledge on this will chime in soon. It would be terrible if you cant use it. Is the cedar on the outside only? Or is the inside done in it as well? Im sure it smells great...to us.

 

[mudhen]

I think cedar is a problem only if they eat it. Something in the oil is toxic, and that is why it is not recommended to use cedar shavings.

 

[tiffanyh]

Yeah, I think it is cedar shavings too...not cedar in general. THey can be in a cedar shed but not have cedar shaving as bedding....ecspecially if there is good ventilation in the shed-fumes from shavings are much stronger than those from woods, or so it seems.

See what everyone else says...

 

[Southern28Chick]

I would have thought that the cedar house would not be good for them until I realized The"Poulet Chalet" on the Coop Designs page has a cedar roof and siding.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/coops/kreitz.html

 

[countrygirl4513]

Well I have a solid cedar tree trunk that we cut down and use as a perch. My babes have had no ill effects from it. I would tend to agree that the cedar chips my be what is hazardous to them but I'm not sure about it.

 

[jamiebartlett]

Our Coop uses cedar trim, nesting boxes and doors. The chickens have been just fine. It's the shavings you want to avoid.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It's the aromatic oils that are the problem. Small animals and rabbits kept on cedar shavings have died from liver disease. Cedar's toxic properties are why it's traditionally been used for keeping moths out of wool or fleas out of dog beds. Like pesticides that are toxic, the goal is to use enough to kill tiny bugs, without killing the larger species, like us or our animals.

If you seal cedar wood used for building with something like paint or polyurethane, it will contain the aromatic oils, so they aren't evaporating into the air. I'd do this on the interior of the coop, which is the only place I'd worry about fumes possibly concentrating. If you can't smell the cedar inside, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Over time, cedar eventually quits off-gassing. That's why with cedar chests used to store wool, you occasionally have to lightly sand the wood's surface, to "renew" it.

 

[rosyposyosy]

wow thats a relief! thanks guys!

 

[allen wranch]

Sealing the inside is a good idea, and be sure to provide plenty of ventilation when they are cooped up inside.