# Shavings for bedding



## Jen1204ca (May 25, 2010)

Is there any type of wood shavings that is not safe to use?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I don't know about goats, but any shavings that may contain walnut are a NO-NO for horses. That's why I'll pay more to know they are pine or cedar, etc vs buying cheap from a wood mill.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

You really want shavings to be kilned dried for milkers. I use shavings fresh from the sawmill in all my stalls except does in milk, I buy kiln dried then. I use pine because anything else makes my asthma flare up. Vicki


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## Jen1204ca (May 25, 2010)

Why kiln dried? Does the fresh affect the does negatively or the milk? If they aren't kiln dried, is there another way of treating them at the farm?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Kiln dried also kills normal bacteria produced when wood sits around. My husband has a saw mill now, and if we don't get the cut trees, through the mill and stacked they will get black mold we have to bleach off. So since most trees are days or weeks from being milled, you know that there is alot of mold in fresh shavings at mills. The kiln dried shavings are not actually kiln dried themselves, but are the shavings off of the kiln dried boards being planed down for smoother surfaces and also exact measurements, since fresh cut boads shrink in the drying process just like soap! And I am learning way to much about all this stuff for someone who hated this whole idea!  My daughters house is being sided with some of the first boards, and my is it pretty  Vicki


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

I'm not sure if this is true for goats but for horses they CAN NOT be on black walnut. Causes founder by the hoof absorbing something in the shaving. You can tell they are black walnut by the reddish tinge to it, not the normal yellow coloring. Been there, done that.


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

Kiln dried shavings also absorb so much better. We use our local mill and they only plane pine or poplar boards. In the winter if I have not stocked up or there wasn't any to stock up with, I purchase pine shavings by the bale which can get a bit pricey. Hardwood shavings do not absorb the way pine or poplar does, we tried using them for the pigs at one point and stopped vowing never again.


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## KingsCoGoatGuy (Dec 20, 2008)

Ditto what Vicki said. 

I am now trying out that "Woody Pet" in my kid pens. Just to see how it works in with kids (a.k.a every drop of milk that goes in, seems to double coming out!) Although I am not using the brand name Woody Pet. The feed store clerk said that Woody Pet is a by product of making wood pellets for wood stoves... They are either to wide or long so get bagged as pet bedding and a HUGE mark up... (Woody Pet $12.99 Wood Pellets $3.99)


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Goats are not sensitive to black walnut like horses are.


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## milkmaidranch (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks Ashely, good to know that.


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## IXEL (May 17, 2010)

I use straw mainly here at home, but when I go to fair and they are in a confind area I use pine shavings. But this is just me.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Alexis, I use straw in the winter, but put down shavings first  Vicki


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## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

I use pine shavings. At one time for the horses I know we used rice hulls for a while but then went back to pine shavings. I don't think the rice hulls absorbed the urine smell as well as the pine. But they were cheaper as we use to buy our shavings/hulls by the truck load. 
Linda


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## IXEL (May 17, 2010)

Good idea Vicki! Maybe that will cut down on all the flys too? (no more bad smells, no more flys!)


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