Wood chip and shaving do's and don'ts

[JackE]

I use pine shavings, and I haven't had any problems with it. Maintenance is easy, I don't think it could get any easier, just clean it out a couple of times a year, in between cleanings, just dump another bag in there. No tedious shoveling around with a cat crap sifter, and the coop doesn't smell. I'd bet a sand filled coop, if not REGULARLY cleaned, would stink a lot worse than a shavings filled coop. As sand does not absorb anything, you have to clean it a lot more frequently. I can see using sand in the run if you have some kind of mudhole out there. But in the coop itself, no.
Jack

 

[Candyhl]

I am trying to obtain wood chips from a local saw mill in the hopes of saving some cash.
The saw mill seems agreeable but mentioned that at times their planar shavings and chips can contain black walnut and maybe cedar. As well, their regular chipper produces wet, not dried, chips with some leaves.
Can anyone give a fairly comprehensive guide for non-dried, not-pine wood chip use? Can we use possibly wet and possibly cedar/walnut wood chips in the run, if not in the enclosed coop? What if the cedar/walnut amounts are rather dilute? Are there any other types of wood and leaves that chickens need to avoid?
Thanks for any and all help.

Not speaking from experience, but I would think the "wet" stuff may even contain sap. I wouldn't recommend it personnally. You might end up with one big icky mess for both you and your chickens.

 

[DianaMallory]

I use pine shavings, and I haven't had any problems with it. Maintenance is easy, I don't think it could get any easier, just clean it out a couple of times a year, in between cleanings, just dump another bag in there. No tedious shoveling around with a cat crap sifter, and the coop doesn't smell. I'd bet a sand filled coop, if not REGULARLY cleaned, would stink a lot worse than a shavings filled coop. As sand does not absorb anything, you have to clean it a lot more frequently. I can see using sand in the run if you have some kind of mudhole out there. But in the coop itself, no.
Jack

The pine shavings are messy they absorb everything get wet stink to high heavens,can get moldy,cause deceases and when you finally shovel them out of your coop the smell will knock you down! Sand is natural and you don't have to scoop iT AS MUCH AS I DO! I just do it makes for a cleaner coop! And we all know what a cleaner coop means! And if not cleaned on a regular basis any coop is going to smell! And if you use sand you don't have to buy grit! So sand in the coop is a big YES! Try it Jack and you won't go back to shavings! And you don't have to use a kitty litter scooper either! Take a scoop shovel and drill holes in it enough for the sand to escape and the poo to stay in the shovel! Takes all of 5 minutes for me to scoop the poo! Did I mention I don't free range my flock! To dangerous for them where I live! So yes my run was a mud hole! I was doing more cleaning with the straw than I am with the sand! Oh and Jack the cost is about $12.00 a year for sand!

 

[JackE]

The pine shavings (They are natural too) in my coop are not wet, and doesn't stink. It's totally dry in there. Now if you have a coop with poor ventilation, and the shavings get wet somehow, and due to the poor air flow in the coop can't dry out. Then I can see were it would probably stink. Occasionally, when it rains, some rain may blow into the coop. With shavings, as they are easily stirred up by the every day activities of the chickens and dry fast, that is no problem. I would think it WOULD be a problem with sand if it gets wet. Unless you, yourself not the birds, worked it a bit, you would end up with a damp packed mass there.
When I clean out the coop. Totally shoveled out twice a year. It's not the smell that gets me, it's the dust. I HAVE to wear a good respirator. If seen from outside, it almost looks like the coop is on fire from all the dust pouring out. An amazing amount of dust. Now as long as that dust is not stirred up, which is normally the way it is, my coop is a nice place to be. As far as grit goes, I never have bought any, they get plenty outside in their travels.
Jack

 

[DianaMallory]

When I had straw my straw was wet underneath were the birds spilled water and ****** adding another layer of straw caused mold! And the dust was more than it is with the sand! You still have dust with the sand. But the cost is so much cheaper and that is what the person that started this thread was after cheaper bedding! The only cons I have to using sand is if you have a bad back, shoveling it can be a problem! And it sticks to your shoes when it is wet out and you have to take your shoes off outside or carry the sand in the house! But clean up is so much easier than before with straw I was paying $4.00 a bale for straw and in 4 months time I bought 2 bales! I had straw all over my yard and the girls would even knock it out into the run. I found it to messy! Oh and sand is very good for the girls feet! And when my coop is clean it is like a day at the beach visiting with my girls!

 

[DianaMallory]

It says it has been 35 minutes since my last post, In that 35 minutes I went outside gathered eggs,fed and water the 5 week old chicks, scooped the poop out of the sand under the roost, cleaned my puppy pads up from my dogs over night mess moped the floor under it. Washed and put away my eggs! Now all I can smell is bleach! lol! Jack if you read this what I meant by natural is the only thing I killed by using sand was my back shoveling it and my gas mileage in my truck hauling it!

 

[DianaMallory]

here is a pic of my coop and run.

with the straw fall out the door. this was before sand!

 

[Ronh]

Hi folks,

I'm laid up for two weeks now with a broken leg, just reading and learning about how to care for my small flock. It seems to me that Jack keeps saying that he is using shavings which work well for him and the sand replys keep comparing to straw vs sand and that's not his point. It's really a personal choice in the end, but any qood objective advise on the subject is always needed. I too use and will continue to use pine shavings in my coop and run for the dual purpose of composting to the garden and other beds which is something I can't do with sand. So please give fair advise to us new folks that are still learning. Thanks

 

[ACLV]

So what do you do in the brooder?

 

[amenfarm]

I am trying to obtain wood chips from a local saw mill in the hopes of saving some cash.

The saw mill seems agreeable but mentioned that at times their planar shavings and chips can contain black walnut and maybe cedar. As well, their regular chipper produces wet, not dried, chips with some leaves.

Can anyone give a fairly comprehensive guide for non-dried, not-pine wood chip use? Can we use possibly wet and possibly cedar/walnut wood chips in the run, if not in the enclosed coop? What if the cedar/walnut amounts are rather dilute? Are there any other types of wood and leaves that chickens need to avoid?

Thanks for any and all help.

I have used fresh wood chips. When I get the shavings I only get that days worth from the tree service--so it's only trees that I know the species. It is too wet for me to use indoors, so it's for the run only. I used kiled dried flake shavings only in the coop, much less problem with mold, mildrew or excess moisture that way. But I do use shedded paper, or leaves inside. The whole sand verses shavings is just what works for you. they both have pros and cons. I use a poop deck under the roosts with zeolite for the ammonia ( sweet pdz stall dry).