Where to buy kiln dried hardwood shavings

[Pippin27]

Hi peeps
Does anyone know where to buy kiln dried or old hardwood shavings (for the litter in my coop) in the Portland, OR area?
Thank you
Avery

 

[DobieLover]

Hi peeps
Does anyone know where to buy kiln dried or old hardwood shavings (for the litter in my coop) in the Portland, OR area?
Thank you
Avery

Are you opposed to using pine shavings?

 

[BackyardJulz]

see if there are any furniture makers (big production mills) in your area. That is the only place I can find hardwood shavings around here. Also, look for people who are planing slabs of hardwoods for live edge tables, etc. The only drawback is mixing of woods as I am not sure if chickens should or shouldn't be on certain species of shavings (like no walnut for horses).

Hardwood is more absorbent, finer, and has better ammonia control than pine- that is based on my horse keeping experience using both kinds in a fairly large barn. Give me hardwood over pine anyday, just hard to find in manageable loads.

 

[mowin]

Why kiln dried??
Many chicken lovers use plain old wood chips with no issues.

Look into arborist or tree removal companies. Might be able to get wood chips from them.

Around my area, most charge the customer to remove the tree, then process the chips into mulch to sell the same customer mulch they made from the tree they removed from same customer.

 

[Kgbao]

Why kiln dried??
Many chicken lovers use plain old wood chips with no issues.

Look into arborist or tree removal companies. Might be able to get wood chips from them.

Around my area, most charge the customer to remove the tree, then process the chips into mulch to sell the same customer mulch they made from the tree they removed from same customer.

The truth behind this hurts.

 

[Pippin27]

Harvey Ussery Recomended KILN DRIED hardwood in his “small flock...” book. It’s more absorbent and I think “cleaner and Sterile” while still being carbon based and able to slowly break down for compost use. Fresh wood chips could have live organisms on them allowing more growth of bacteria or viruses or could be a little moist creating a better micro habitat for critters to grow.

I had a sick bird w bloody poo yesterday (in quarantine today) and as a result I cleaned and replaced litter. It was then that I was told by my friend Chris, a chicken farmer, that straw is actually very bad as it can cause respiratory issues so then I began looking into what actually is the best deep litter for Birds that requires very little cleaning and that’s natural and that’s when I came on the kiln dried wood shavings/chips.
I have since replaced all the straw w pine shavings for the time being but I’m looking for a longer term solution. And to be honest these birds are my babies and I want them to have the very best.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Fresh wood chips could have live organisms on them allowing more growth of bacteria or viruses or could be a little moist creating a better micro habitat for critters to grow.

Best recommendation for use of wood chips is to age them (I think 6 mos. at least is ideal, some may say more, or less), and to skim off surface chips from your pile as you use it so chips further down have time to dry out, as chips are usually left sitting out in the elements. If possible you'd want to know what types of wood are in the chips - some possible concerns would be cedar (especially aromatic and used in a closed environment) or black walnut which could possibly be toxic.

I've been using aged chips off my own lot without any issue. Some bacterial or fungal growth on them is a natural part of the wood decaying and not harmful, but there are specific ones that can be a problem, such as aspergillus.

 

[aart]

Pine shavings are fine, get them at the farm store and most are kiln dried.
Chipped tree trimmings are best used out in the run.