# Pine Shavings



## Mandara Farm

Hi All,

I saw recently that someone was using pain shavings in their barn for their standard size goats. I think they're sold as horse stall bedding, but not sure. They look wonderful but I'm concerned about my nigerians eating them and then getting sick from it. I've lost track of that other thread so I'll ask here: Do you use them and what's your experience?


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## freedomstarfarm

I have used pine shavings for my ND's no problem.


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## Jessica84

Watch out for new kids. A lady I know told me about a friend of hers that lost some newborn wet kids due to the shavings getting into the lungs. I was using the shavings for the kids after they were a few days old but noticed that after the kids nursed the doe and she was laying down it would stick to her teats so stopped. I also used it for the goats last year since we had a crazy wet winter and no one had straw and they did eat it, but didnt cause any health problems.


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## PznIvyFarm

I've used pine shavings all along but if your goats are kidding, avoid them. I thought i'd put them under the straw for more absorbency, but things got stirred up and they got stuck to the kids, it was a mess, so stick to straw only in that case.


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## KW Farms

I also use shavings sometimes...my goats usually sniff them and might chew them a tad...but figure out it's not edible and forget about it. Yes, as Jessica said...with kiddings...it's best if they're born in hay or straw...or pasture...as the shavings can be dangerous for newborns. :thumb:


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## Mandara Farm

Excellent! Thank you everyone!


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## KW Farms

:thumb:


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## RMADairyGoats

We use pine shavings for our goats/horses and they work great! :thumb:


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## Maggie

We use pine shavings and I have never seen the goats eat them. I use straw overtop when its really cold and in the kidding stalls. We get loose shavings in bulk, my husband picks it up in his dumptruck then just dumps the pile in our bank barn. It gets expensive buying the bags as much as we go through.


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## dlarue

We pine shavings and they work well. I have never noted them eating it. I also think it helps to add them under hay for during the coldest nights... if we do some of the houses but not all, they will collectively ignore the ones without both. Its funny.


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## LoneStarChic

I use them. Always have, but I use the large flake, not the fine, powdery stuff.

Typically when kidding, or cold weather I put straw on top of them, but with the drought & the wild fires that scorched my neck of Texas, no one within 2 hours of me has straw.... Everything that could be baled was baled to feedthe dwindling cattle herds...

So, I have had 5 kiddings in just shavings. No problems.... All but 2 kids have been pulled at birth & bottle raised, but even my baby pen has the shavings. No problems, the only thing I didn't like was not being able to use the deep bedding method this winter thanks to the lack of straw.... But the bonus is even though I clean more often, I'm not going to have the big job of spring cleaning layers of deep bedding like I usually do


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## Itchysmom

As with horses, you do not want shavings in a stall with a kidding mom or very young kids, Place straw over the shavings. Some shavings tend to be very dusty, so be aware of what you are buying! Look at the bag and make sure it is not full of dust, you want more of a shaving, not the dust. Shavings will stick to the babies when being born and they can inhale them, with can cause lung problems. Straw will stick, but they really can't inhale it. This is what I have learned having foals and it holds true for any young animal.


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## liz

I use the flaked shavings..and any wasted hay goes on top in kid stalls...I have feed sacks down for newborns to be delivered on to avoid bedding sticking to wet babies. I like the shavings mainly because you can see where the dirty wet spots are and scoop them out easily


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## nubians2

When kidding I use horse bedding pellets first then put a layer of straw on top. Last year our doe kidded in our shop on a concrete floor so the pellets helped absorb the urine and birthing fluids til we got it all cleaned up. I use the pellets also in my buck shelter which is a wood floor. They help absorb the urine and smell, then look like sawdust once they have dried. It helps alot! I haven't used pine shavings on the goats just the chickens nesting boxes.


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## LoneStarChic

liz said:


> I use the flaked shavings..and any wasted hay goes on top in kid stalls...I have feed sacks down for newborns to be delivered on to avoid bedding sticking to wet babies. I like the shavings mainly because you can see where the dirty wet spots are and scoop them out easily


Same here.  Some of my feed comes in plasticy type bags, but my whole oats come in the paper bags.... I save them up, cut down the side seam to open it & make it bigger & catch kids & most birth goo/fluids in it. Helps avoid sticky babies & soggy/slimey patches on the barn floor 

I only buy large flake shavings, not dusty at all..... Love them & they make barn/kid pen clean up easier, so my barns stay squeaky clean with no dangerous ammonia fumes building up from urine accumulation...


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## Tenacross

I just recently started using the pellets for bedding in the common sleeping area in my barn. Soak them in water and they turn into saw dust. Only it's not dusty. We use the same thing at the race track. I have sort of a system down for cleaning using a scoop shovel and a lawn rake for the goats. I've been cleaning every third day and feel pretty good about the general tidyness. Way less work than the straw I was using.


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