Who says cedar is bad for chickens???

[jvls1942]

I use straw once in awhile.. If you let the cleaning go too long, like I do, straw gets matted and makes cleaning the floor a little more difficult..

 

[lichenesque]

Thanks for your reply! ... I went to look at your other comments and got a good laugh from "we once had a hen who swallowed a large rubber band.... she laid the same egg four times..

"

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
I don't use straw, because it can get stuck in the chickens crops to easily causing impacted crops that require surgery to fix. Many people have used it successfully, but I'm one that doesn't like to deal with drama and injuries, so I like to play it safe and avoid using anything that could cause them.

 

[cc_chicken]

I just received a new cedar coop as a gift. The floor is hardware cloth (to allow the droppings to drop). I only plan to use kiln dryed pine in the nesting boxes. Should I be concerned about the cedar walls and ceiling? Does the exposed interior cedar need to be sealed? If so, is there a non-toxic sealant available?

 

[BigPeep]

I wouldn't think that cedar walls etc, would be a problem, only if you use the shavings.

On another note I keep seeing pics of coops built entirely with OSB (oriented strand board). This stuff is highly toxic. It is composed of wood (softwood) shavings held together by glues and treated with formaldehyde. It is being used almost exclusively now in housing for people as well and may be a significant health hazard for humans as more information comes out about it.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
the on that same note, plywood is held together with glue also, so all previous homes are just as toxic..?

 

[miacaraitalia]

Oh My Goodness,
I have had my baby chicks in there for three days, they just hatched this past weekend. I put them on cedar not knowing. I am at work. How long do I have until they will be terribly hurt?

Panic stricken....

 

[nikischicks]

My word. How do you ever know what to use then? I never heard a word about pine shavings being bad. I have used them since they were a week old and its been over a year now. If you have a big coup what the heavens are you supposed to use in there? I just cant believe that if the shavings were that bad why are they selling them at tsc and everyone is buying them for their pets? And what does that say for the people who sell the cedar shavings for small animals, I just dont get it.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Take a deep breath

Assuming this is an open-topped well-ventilated brooder, they will most likely be fine, just change over to a different bedding when you get a chance.

If it is one of the almost-completely-closed "cabinet" style brooders, it would IMO probably be better to change the bedding tonight rather than just 'whenever' but still the chances are good that they'll be fine.

Really, the dangers of cedar seem to be largely theoretical (with only fairly-rare actual cases where it *does* seem to have caused a problem), and dependant on your ventilation and the particular batch of cedar shavings.

Good luck, have fun, be calm

,

Pat

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Take a deep breath

Assuming this is an open-topped well-ventilated brooder, they will most likely be fine, just change over to a different bedding when you get a chance.

If it is one of the almost-completely-closed "cabinet" style brooders, it would IMO probably be better to change the bedding tonight rather than just 'whenever' but still the chances are good that they'll be fine.

Really, the dangers of cedar seem to be largely theoretical (with only fairly-rare actual cases where it *does* seem to have caused a problem), and dependant on your ventilation and the particular batch of cedar shavings.

Good luck, have fun, be calm

,

Pat

Pat is right. And next summer, try grass clippings for nests, brooders, and coop floors. Smell good, free, and the chooks eat it to boot. I use them year round and only do a little topping off with hay late in winter.