Wood Shavings For Chicken Coop

Cedar is too aromatic and the oils have been proven to be harmful and even toxic to chickens.

Wood shavings for chicken coop.

Many chicken farmers prefer wood shavings for their nesting boxes. Some prefer hay or straw and change it frequently. They re loved for their absorbency cheap cost insulating properties and composting ease. However pine shavings contain dangerous toxins that may cause serious harm to your chickens.

They re used in both brooders and chicken coops. Wood shavings are a really good option for chicken coop bedding. Shavings shavings are a favorite among chicken owners and this type of bedding comes in different forms of wood. Pine shavings are one of the most used chicken bedding materials in the united states.

Chickens stir it up and dust settles on anything in the coop. I ve read that straw can be too slippery for developing legs to walk on although i haven t honestly looked further into this. Pine shavings are touted as safe for chickens health and many packages even have pictures of chickens on them. For the aspect of cleaning the coop i prefer pine shavings.

Scattering corn on the coop floor encourages them. What are the popular choices for chicken coop bedding in the different areas of my coop. I prefer it especially with the deep litter method after a long winter of adding extra bedding. So here s the rundown on some common choices for coop bedding.

You absolutely need pine wood shavings and not cedar shavings cedar oils and scent can be toxic to chickens. The high nitrogen chicken poop is the green simply add enough shavings to keep the floor composting nicely and the chickens do the aeration for you with their scratching behavior. We always use pine shavings for baby chicks. Pine shavings are commonly used for chicken coops as they re more absorbent than most other materials have insulating properties are low in cost and widely available and can be used for the deep litter method and composting.

Like a compost pile you begin with a layer of pine shavings or other organic matter in the browns category. So what is my favorite chicken bedding. Wood shavings have a pleasant smell are amazingly absorbent and don t pack down. The most common kinds of shavings are pine and cedar although there is a lot of talk about the possibility of cedar being toxic to chickens.

Sawdust also works well but is dusty. By far the most commonly used litter is wood shavings sold in feed stores or scrounged from woodworkers. Whichever you select remember to keep it dry and ensure that the chickens aren t suffering from any respiratory issues. Straw is another common bedding.

Wood chips are great in absorbing those odors. What makes them an excellent material is the fact that they are mainly carbon. Wood chips are a good bedding material for your chicken coop. Also only use pine shavings never cedar.

Chicken poop is high in nitrogen and has a tendency to smell bad.