Best source for cheap pine shavings and a big OOPS

[becstalls]

Can anyone out there tell me what they've found to be the best source for inexpensive pine shavings? Is there a "bulk" option out there other than buying the bagged stuff from walmart or the feed store? So far I've found walmart to be cheaper than Tractor supply, but if there is a way to get it cheaper, then YAY!

My big oops is that I bought cedar shavings for my chicks. I've been EXTREMELY lucky though and I haven't lost any--I didn't know until today when I was browsing the forum that they cause respiratory issues

. My chicks are now almost 3 weeks old, and have only ever lived with cedar shavings in their brooder box.

We just moved them out to the coop today (they still have a heat lamp) because they are just getting too big for the brooder. We put down 2 big bags of pine shavings in the coop, and the last 1/5 of a bag of cedar shavings from before. Then I read about the respiratory issues, and ran out and gathered up as much as I could out of the coop (they were on top, thankfully), and then mixed in what I couldn't get. We plan to get another bag of pine shavings to put on top of it all. Do you guys think that will be OK for them? I can still see a few flecks of the red from the remaining cedar shavings, but I think I got most of it. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[sunflowerenvy]

maybe from tree cutter that turn there tree in to shaving?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'm not sure what part of the country you're in--but sometimes lumber mills will let you fill your truck for like $10.00 I used to do that for my horses when I lived in Portland. Now, the local mill here closed...but I have another place I'm going to try to call....

 

[jerseygirl1]

I see them in bulk all the time on Craigslist

 

[Oopoo]

beware of the quality of tree chips. If they're full of chemicals or infested with bugs, you won't want them

 

[teach1rusl]

Okay, you didn't ask, but... you might consider adding dropping boards to your coop in the not too distant future (if you haven't already). For me at least, it really saves on bedding, because (at least during spring, summer, fall) I get almost no droppings in the bedding. It's June, and I'll bet I've picked up 10 droppings from my bedding since warm weather hit thanks to dropping boards. I used a bag of bedding for my early spring clean-out (6x8 coop), and won't replace again until right before winter hits. I'll probably go through 2-3 bags over the winter, because they're indoors a LOT, and so the bedding does get pooped up quite a bit then, and I put extra bedding down for warmth. So really, for my size coop, that's only 3-4 bags a year...about $20 around here, which I think is pretty cheap. So keep the idea of dropping boards in the back of your mind...

 

[becstalls]

What are dropping boards?


Thanks all for the tips! As for getting stuff from a saw-mill, we have plenty of options for that around here, but I was concerned because it's mixed wood, and because it sits outside--does it have to be super dry or is it okay a little green/wet like it would be from a mill?

yay advice!

 

[SallyF]

The cheapest here is our Farm Coop, followed by TSC. Walmart is actually the most expensive I've found.

 

[u8sushi]

I found a supplier on craigs list. they sell bulk and bags. They supply the Tractor supply stores and pet stores in my area.

 

[NevadaRon]

Why doesn't anyone use straw hay? It's very cheap, and seem to work quite well. Around here, it's $7 for a bale from the feed store, and it can be had even cheaper if you buy in bulk from a farm (though unless you have horses, you'd be buying a lifetime [yours, NOT the chickens

] supply).