Red Mulch?

[ncCHICKS]

Is this bad for chickens? I am setting up a garden around the coop for spring time, but wanted to know if they will mess with the mulch (I know they'll eat at the plants, I'm find with it) and if it's bad for them. I forgot which kind of wood it is.

 

[moduckman]

They say cedar can be bad for them, but the chickens like mulch because bugs hide in it and they scratch them out.

 

[hippichick]

I use it in my pens, have been for the past few months, and haven't seen any ill effects. It's not cedar mulch. I put down a layer of sand, then mulch. It drains well, and they love to scratch around in it.

Paula

 

[ncCHICKS]

Thanks, I know cedar is bad, like the shavings and stuff they sell for dog kennels. I use pine for in the coop, but after hearing the person using them in her coop, I might consider that... I didn't know if they'd try to eat the mulch if it was cedar.

 

[Wifezilla]

The red mulch you usually see at the gardening stores isn't cedar...it is just dyed to LOOK like cedar. Check the labels.

 

[jubylives]

Of couse though cedar has not been proven to be harmful to chickens. Mulch can harbour bugs that the chickens like to eat but can also harbour fleas and mites.

jeremy

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I'm not going to open the whole cedar issue again, just say that different people may have different ideas what they consider sufficient evidence to be worth avoiding something easily avoidable.

What I'm mainly posting to say is that mulch is not too darn likely to be "harbouring fleas and mites". I do not believe (?) sticktight fleas, which are AFAIK the only fleas that chickens regularly get, is normally a problem as far north as NC. Most mites live permanently on the chicken, and roost mites you would not normally find even in run bedding much less in just a garden that the chickens have access to (which is what the question is about).

I *would* be a bit concerned at not knowing what they dye the mulch red with and not wanting the chickens eating it unless I knew for sure.

JMHO,

Pat

 

[ncCHICKS]

I'll check the bag when we go. It it is cedar, its a no go. They don't eat their shavings. With the mites thing, I could sprinkle DE over it.

 

[hippichick]

The DE is a good idea. It's what I do. I wonder, though, would mulch harbor fleas and mites any more than pine shavings. The mulch I use is pine mulch. Just wondering........

Paula

 

[ncCHICKS]

Quote:
I have no idea. The thing is dislike about the shavings is they kick it into the waterer. I wonder if mulch would help solve this. I've never had a problem with mites. Actually, the only pest I've had is ants, and thats because where we live ants go where food is. (problem solved when we got hangin feeder) I think DE would solve the mites.