# Bedding or chicks- help me please



## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

I've heard a lot against cedar and pine shavings - I don't want to us what because it's not easy to walk on and not easy to keep clean. What bedding should I use ?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Pine. While there is no scientific evidence that cedar is poisonous why try it on chicks and find out the hard way that it is hard on them? Cedar is far more aromatic than pine and that might be the whole issue, that its hard on the respiratory system of the birds since they are down in it.


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

So pine is good?


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

I have used large flake pine for years with no problems.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Pine is good.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I use large flake pine, and sawdust which is a combo of soft and hard woods but does not contain cedar. I don't use the sawdust for the chicks until they know what food is because they can eat the wood and impact their crops. This doesn't happen with shavings. Once they are a few weeks old they know the difference between bedding and food and they are big enough that if they do Ingest some little bits here and there it will pass through.


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

Thank you guys- I'm hatching chicks for kids camp so i needed something other than hay to make it easy! Thank you!


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I put shavings in with mine when they were little it was cedar and I had no issues at all. I am using pine with these chicks it was cheaper.


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## solidwoods (Apr 5, 2015)

If there is a woodworking shop around your area, they may be nice enough to save some trash bags of kiln dried planer shavings for you. Just ask for no Cedar.
I'm a pro woodworker and I use planer shavings that didn't go through the dust collector since they are longer in length. White pine has a great sweet pine smell.
jim


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I use pine mostly, cedar here and there just to mix it in... the odor or the cedar seems to keep most pests away, which is why I like adding some in... a few handfuls per bale of shaving... seems to work nice, rarely do I experience respiratory issues


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Since mites are so bad here and it seems like I'm constantly having to treat my old birds, I'm going to give the cedar a try. I'm going to add it the same way PH does, not too much. Just maybe it will help in the long run.


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## myhppyndng5221 (Apr 4, 2015)

Our stalls always got a coating of lime DE then cedar shavings and pine shavings then straw shook on top a bit and then the chickens fluffed it all to how they liked it! Never have had any issues with them... Just occasional barn mice over the winter which get stabbed with a pitchfork if I'm around lol!


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

living where I am I rarely get mice... winters are cold, the mice tend to stay in their burrows or something. Even in the home... we just dont see them. I like the smell of cedar.. so I like to keep a bale around.. I would not use it as a sole bedding though... I think that would be way too strong smelling... I like to keep it a bit thicker in the corners...


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## kdelbiondo (Jun 9, 2015)

Pine works great! I'm thinking of using my dirty shavings (pine + poop) for compost if you want to briefly teach your campers what composting means and how to do it! I think young kids should learn then...instead of learning about it when you're in college like I did!


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