Are wood stove pellets safe ?

[Chickiechick]

Hello everyone.
My four chickies are growing like weeds !!!
Have been using paper towels in the brooder but am ready to switch to some kind of bedding.
I have a bag of wood stove pellets left over from winter heating and wonder if that would be safe for the chicks to be on ?
I'm guessing the chicks are around 12 or so days old.

Thanks

 

[moms_coop]

They should be ok if they don't have any additives in them. I use wood pellets for my house bunnies litter box. Not sure what they are like for chicks to walk on, but don't see why they wouldn't work. Maybe someone else would know more about them.
Sally

 

[fhdogs]

Most wood pellets have no binder in them, so they should be safe. My only concern would be what happens when the get wet. Don't the pellets usually break down and turn to soggy mush?

 

[moms_coop]

They do breakdown, but they absorb alot of water. Thats why they are great for rabbit litter. They don't get soggy with the urine in the litter box.
Sally

 

[daisy_dukers]

I wanna know the answer to this one also...

I have a few bags left over from growing mushrooms and I would like to know if I can use it in my brooder (to be built this weekend).

 

[fhdogs]

I went to a local feed store today, and they actually had bags of "Wood Pellets for bedding".

I asked the guy that worked there, and he told me that as far as he knew it was the same as heating pellets. So I'd say all is safe. (They were a little more expensive however.)

 

[harrisville chicken]

I've been using a mix of wood stove pellets and peat moss (mainly pellets). Once or twice a day I put a big handful of peat in with them, which they love to dust bathe in.
If the pellets get wet, they swell and then turn to sawdust-like material, also a favorite to dust bathe in.
It has a nice fragrance to it and is easy to clean out the poopy bits, as they tend to clump.
They have no trouble walking on it.

 

[Chickiechick]

Thanks everyone.
I just checked the bag to be sure and it states "no additives, no plastic, 100% natural wood".
Sounds ok

Tomorrow I'll switch the girls to a bedding of wood stove pellets and let you know how things go.
I've only had them 1 week. Boy, they sure have grown

 

[Chickiechick]

Just an update .......
I LOVE the wood stove pellet bedding !!!!!!

The chickie gang stay so much cleaner. 'poops' just absorb into the pellets which swell, then crumble becoming once again basically dry. No more sticky chicky feet

So this novice chick raiser gives a big

to wood stove pellet bedding.

 

[geareduplyn]

Been using them for 25 years+