Wood "chips" for bedding

[pbjmaker]

I have a HUGE pile of wood "mulch" made from old branches that my husband chipped up yesterday. It is mostly maple, cottonwood and maybe a little walnut and lilac bushes. Is it OK to use this for bedding for my chickens as long as I make sure there are no bigger splintery pieces?

 

[Chirpy]

The only wood that I personally know of that's bad for chickens is Cedar. However, since I personally don't know about lilacs and some of the others I'm wondering if you could do a google search on the other woods you mentioned just to make sure they are Ok.

You are right that you want to make sure whatever you use isn't too small (shavings) or too large of pieces.

 

[GallowayFarms]

It really needs to age for a bit. When things are first chipped up, they produce alot of heat as they rot. It is a good idea to let the wood chips "rest" for a bit before you spread them in the run.

I will try to find out if your mix is dangerous. How old are the chickens?

Good Luck

Nick