Sawdust and wood shavings which one is better? 1. Wood shaving is best for younger birds (from day old to 2 weeks). This is because at day old, chicks cannot tell the difference between food and sawdust. They will eat the sawdust as food and this is very dangerous to their health. But from 2 weeks of age, they have grown to know food from anything else. 2. Sawdust absorbs more water than shavings so when birds are grown, sawdust or a combination of both will do a better job. As a general rule, anytime the liter material is wet regardless of the choice, it should be changed. Anytime it is visibly dirty, regardless of how long it's been used should be changed. Wet/dirty liter can make your birds sick and dirty.. Learning with AGRI_FARMS21 🍉 🥬 🥦