Because of the overpowering scent, cedar shavings are not recommended for use as chicken beddings or litter, especially for chicks. Cedar shavings contain natural oils that are toxic to chickens and can cause respiratory issues.
If you use cedar shavings as bedding in your chicken coop, it’s important to watch out for respiratory or liver illness signs. Signs that your chicken is in respiratory distress include coughing, phlegm, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
Is pine bedding safe for chickens?
The reality is pine also releases VOCs (pinene) and there is no clear data on whether it is a safe material for chicken bedding or not. In an article published in The Chicken Whisperer Magazine, Dr Brigid Mc. Crea, Associate Professor and Poultry Specialist at Delaware State University recommended cedar shavings for coop bedding.
The next thing we asked ourselves was, what type of bedding is best for chickens?
Shavings are a favorite among chicken owners, and this type of bedding comes in different forms of wood. 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. I love to use shavings due to odor control and ease of cleaning.
Is Cedar Coop bedding toxic to birds?
I found a lot of anecdotal evidence (much of it quoting the same sources), but nothing that definitively pointed to cedar being a toxic material for coop bedding. Here’s a synopsis of what I did find: It is that strong-smelling cedrene, which is thought to irritate the respiratory systems of birds.
Can chickens be pets?
Overall, chickens can make great pets . They are intelligent animals with unique personalities that make them interesting creatures to keep on your homestead. There are many benefits to keeping chickens as pets, such as having access to fresh eggs. However, chickens should not be treated like domesticated dogs or cats.
This of course begs the query “Can chickens be kept in the house as pets?”
So, turning a chicken into an indoor house pet is not a good idea. “Chickens harbor harmful bacteria,” said Dr. Dora Mills, former director of the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and current senior vice president with Maine, and health.
Do chickens really make good house pets?
If you never forget their physical limitations and quirks, they make very engaging and fun pets. I recommend a chicken diaper, and start with a very young chick. Here’s a stock photo so you can see what a chicken diaper looks like. This takes care of the mess around the house. Chicken diapers – Google Search:.
Chickens may be considered pets or livestock depending upon the use to which the chickens are put. According to the dictionary, a pet is “a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility.” In contrast, livestock are “animals kept or raised for use or pleasure; especially: farm animals kept for use or profit” (1).
The bird known as the chicken ( Gallus domesticus ) is a domesticated version of the Indian and Southeast Asian Red Jungle Fowl ( Gallus gallus ), still found in the wild today. Although some chickens are kept as backyard pets or used as research animals, the most significant use of chickens is for meat and egg production.