Wood turning/shavings for coop?

[AppleMomma65]

I have a wonderful friend who would like to give me the wood-turned shavings he get's from his lathe. Wood is lots of different kinds including box elder, oak, ash, birch, etc. Currently, my chickens have pine bedding underneath their roost bar/on poop boards. With winter coming - and the fact that I'm almost out of TSC pine bedding - I was thinking I'd use the wood shavings. Anything I should be aware of?

 

[One Lucky Momma]

How lucky!
We use shop turnings from all kinds of wood. Predominantly pine, but lots of other species. (No aspen, though, something that’s highly regarded by the people who use it.)

Some folks recommend cedar for its aromatics, suggesting it’s somehow useful against parasites, but I have no proof of that. At the same time, some folks advise against it for its aromatics, suggesting it‘s toxic to the respiratory system. That makes sense to me if the concentration is high. But a little does smell good. In any case, most shops don’t run a whole lot of cedar so just watch out for it. Your friend can let you know what’s “in the bag”.

One thing I would advise against is any kind of sawdust. Potentially bad for the birds and you if you’re breathing much of it. So be picky and just take the big curly shavings.

And, as always good ventilation is everything.

 

[aart]

I have a wonderful friend who would like to give me the wood-turned shavings he get's from his lathe. Wood is lots of different kinds including box elder, oak, ash, birch, etc. Currently, my chickens have pine bedding underneath their roost bar/on poop boards. With winter coming - and the fact that I'm almost out of TSC pine bedding - I was thinking I'd use the wood shavings. Anything I should be aware of?

Could work fine......but may be too fine and thus break down faster than the TS large flake shavings. Give it a try and see.

 

[RainbowHen]

So long as there are no black walnut you are good to go! We get shavings from the local saw mill for the horse stalls and have used them in to coop. No issues for either. They can be a bit dusty so good ventilation is a must and get the big stuff not the fines as already stated

 

[AppleMomma65]

So long as there are no black walnut you are good to go! We get shavings from the local saw mill for the horse stalls and have used them in to coop. No issues for either. They can be a bit dusty so good ventilation is a must and get the big stuff not the fines as already stated

See you are also in WI - I'm in Northern WI - near Spooner. Crazy, icky weather. I'm starting to winterize the coop ... you?

 

[RainbowHen]

See you are also in WI - I'm in Northern WI - near Spooner. Crazy, icky weather. I'm starting to winterize the coop ... you?

Central Wisconsin here. Weather has been gross! Cold and rainy. Then sunny for 5 mins and rainy again. My garden is looking pretty sad. Have begun winterizing also. Generally use wood pellets but switch to shavings or straw for the winter. My coop is not insulated but am working on some window coverings that will allow airflow but not cause a draft. Will cover the walls of their current run so they will continue to use it through winter. Also working on an additional covered run. Really feeling the pressure of winter!

 

[AppleMomma65]

Central Wisconsin here. Weather has been gross! Cold and rainy. Then sunny for 5 mins and rainy again. My garden is looking pretty sad. Have begun winterizing also. Generally use wood pellets but switch to shavings or straw for the winter. My coop is not insulated but am working on some window coverings that will allow airflow but not cause a draft. Will cover the walls of their current run so they will continue to use it through winter. Also working on an additional covered run. Really feeling the pressure of winter!

Right?!? I just created a post asking for opinions on how I'm going to winterize - this is my first winter with chickens. Would love your opinion!

 

[RainbowHen]

Right?!? I just created a post asking for opinions on how I'm going to winterize - this is my first winter with chickens. Would love your opinion!

Oh! How fun! I keep food and water outside. Water spills will freeze in your coop shavings. You want a heated waterer. I do not insulate. You want ventilation. The more the better. If you button your coop up tight you will get moisture build up (think car windows with a car full of people) and frostbite. A wet chicken is a cold chicken. I do not use a heat source except in emergency temps. -60 one year and only a single heat lamp for a huge 15x20 coop and I didn't lose a single bird. These days my coop is much smaller (live in city limits now) but the idea is the same. I have used heat mats in the nesting boxes for eggs. Chickens are amazing little heaters and do just fine so long as they stay dry and have ventilation. Make sure they have enough space. Bored, cramped chickens hiding in the coop will pick at each other. This is why I am covering the walls of my run to ensure that they have plenty of draft-free space to occupy. I don't feed any different in the winter but you can offer some higher fat snacks like scratch, sunflower seeds, and peanuts if you like. My girls get this stuff on occasion anyways lol. Best of luck!