I use shavings, I find they have a lot of advantages over straw. In the
hen-house, they last
a lot longer and keep eggs cleaner, as shavings are a lot more efficient at
drying out
droppings than straw, and the hens do freshen it up by digging into it when
making a
nest/laying area. Much better for ducks too, as shavings can take a lot more
moisture
without beginning to rot. I occasionally find mine pecking at it, but then I
occasionally find
them eating strands of grassy stuff in straw if I put it down, which worries me
too.

The real problem is using it with small ducklings, who will gorge on it before
they've really
learned what's edible, but apart from that I've never had a problem from birds
eating it.
Always worth feeling your birds' crops during routine handling just to make sure
it's not
stuffed with shavings, and just to check they feel normal.

Talking to my feed supplier, apparently there is a shortage of shavings at the
moment and
the price is set to go up a lot.

--- In smallholding@..., "Karen" <karence@...> wrote:
>
> For chicken's bedding, I thought shavings might be better, but I've noticed
> them eating it every now and again - ewww! I thought it might be better
> than straw because it seems to keep fresher for longer and you can add a
> little bit of dried lavender etc.
>
>
>
> Karen
>
> x
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>