sawdust as bedding

[LittleMoss]

My friend has offered me a sack of sawdust to use as bedding, but it's from a timberyard. Is it safe to use for chickens, or best avoided?
I'd be glad of any thoughts, thanks.

 

[pennyJo1960]

go ahead we use shavings compressed in bales

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If it is hardwood, it may get fungus on it if it gets wet.
Pine may be ok.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Best to be avoided IMO since chickens have sensitive respiratory systems... I would think it would be... well dusty.

I was originally thinking brooder.. but see you may mean for your coop. Do you know what type of lumber it is from? I still go with my original answer, but will look forward to hearing others.

It would be nice to have a free/reliable source for any chicken supplies! Awesome that you're looking into it instead of assuming anything.

 

[aart]

go ahead we use shavings compressed in bales

Not the same thing.

My friend has offered me a sack of sawdust to use as bedding, but it's from a timberyard. Is it safe to use for chickens, or best avoided?
I'd be glad of any thoughts, thanks.

Timberyard, like milling fresh cut logs?....or lumber yard?

Agrees with others...dust, molds.....and maybe pressure treated in there(if lumberyard)....so, risky.

 

[snow5164]

Do you know with certainty which wood products it's made from? My husband has a workshop and I don't take the saw dust because one piece of pressure treated wood and it's not good for animals .

Also as said above it's really dusty .....

Maybe use it in the run to make a dry area ??

 

[LittleMoss]

Thanks for all your replies. I don't know what kind of wood or whether any of it has been treated, so based on your responses I've decided not to use it.

 

[jvls1942]

send it to me,
I have a wood shop and I use all of my sawdust and shavings. any kind, hardwood and pine.
after 40 years I have never had any issues with any of it.
btw, some of the compressed bales are pine..

If you don't use it for the chickens, put it on your compost pile..

 

[LittleMoss]

I would send it to you, but we lived nearly 4000 miles away! Do you not worry about whether the wood is treated?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

send it to me,
I have a wood shop and I use all of my sawdust and shavings. any kind, hardwood and pine.
after 40 years I have never had any issues with any of it.
btw, some of the compressed bales are pine..

If you don't use it for the chickens, put it on your compost pile..

Pine is the only shavings I use for my animals. Coming from your own shop though is a bit different than from the mill where they aren't just natural woods but MAY be pressure treated with some kind of chemical.