In case you’re continue to thinking about attempting cedar wood shavings, Make sure you introduce them gradually to prevent any adverse reactions. Begin by mixing a small amount of cedar shavings with their normal bedding and watch their habits closely.
Ultimately, the choice amongst softwood and hardwood shavings comes down to your precise demands and price range. If you reside in a region with substantial humidity or have chickens vulnerable to respiratory issues, hardwood shavings could be the greater expenditure.
We've got a little Urban flock and live in a dry local climate in Boise Idaho. We have made use of the deep litter process for almost a decade and it works terrific! We have a few hens and a nice sizing Coop. We clear out the whole Coop four situations a year. I clean up up the higher roosting region about when per week or as needed.
Some kinds of wood shavings, for instance cedar and cypress, include oils that repel insects and moths, However they can even be harmful to chickens if ingested in big portions.
The sole improved litter resource is sand, which receives a 100% on its ‘litter scorecard.’ For more on sand while in the coop, consider my article, Using sand for chicken coop bedding.
On this page, I’ve summarized the findings of many of the important educational scientific tests in regards to the toxicity of pine shavings, which includes:
Lisa acknowledges that she isn’t one hundred% positive the pine shavings brought on the respiratory troubles. She mentioned absolutely nothing else experienced improved for her chickens Moreover The brand new pine bedding, so she couldn’t think about what else could be triggering the respiratory troubles. Furthermore, she mentioned the issues subsided when she taken out the pine shavings.
In One more analyze, a research group put some of their mice on pine shavings to purposely raise their liver enzyme action (Connors et al., 1990). They then euthanized the animals, uncovered slices in their livers to copyright, and then tested the extent of damage on the liver cells.
“Within two days, I had 3 chickens with respiratory challenges. They were being respiration with issues, a single was braying Practically similar to a donkey and squeaking between breaths… I straight away suspected which the shavings had been the culprit.” — Lisa Steele, Refreshing Eggs Each day Blog site
During this guideline, We now have explained the benefits of employing pine shaving in chicken coops. What's more, we will compare pine shavings with other coop bedding and conclude which bedding is ideal for your chickens.
Softwood shavings, commonly constructed from pine or spruce, will often be cheaper than hardwood shavings. Nonetheless, they tend to be much less tough and may crack down more rapidly in humid environments. This may lead to a buildup of dust and particles, which might exacerbate respiratory problems in your chickens.
UPDATE: Investigation suggests that pine shavings bedding could possibly be harmful on your chickens. Take a look at my write-up, Pine shavings while in the coop: The secret chicken killer?, for the summary of the present investigate.
I dont know if you got an answer however, if it can help I have 50 chickens of assorted breeds and 2 Find Out ducks none of these have eaten it now I can t say a similar to the foolish goats lol but it doesn't damage them
If you do choose regular wood shavings, make sure to source from trustworthy suppliers who adhere to sustainability procedures and rigid VOC restrictions. Consistently cleaning and changing the bedding can also help reduce potential pitfalls affiliated with sure types of wood shavings.