I skimmed the article and didn't really care for its dramatic, fear-inducing tone. Looking at the referenced papers down at the end, though, I actually just researched this topic recently and came across a lot of the same papers. Pretty much all the
trees being milled around us are cedar, so we can get unlimited shavings and sawdust for free. Apparently, cedar is even more toxic than pine, so I looked through many papers to decide whether to use it as chicken bedding.
My personal conclusion is that, as with anything toxic, it depends on how much. With pine and cedar, they seem to become toxic when too much is breathed in or in direct contact with the skin. So my solution is to use less and to add straw on top in the nest basket so that none is touching the skin. We've had the chickens for a few weeks and they all seem fine. If any individual chickens had a particular sensitivity or allergy, I think it would be obvious by now.
Other ways to reduce toxicity are to let it dry well and air out. Our coop is made of cedar and the bedding is maybe one quarter cedar shavings mixed with rice hulls, and the coop doesn't smell like cedar. It doesn't smell bad either. Our winters are mild and the coop windows will stay open all year.
Of
course, without comprehensive studies on chickens, we can't be sure. As the article pointed out, most studies are of sawmill workers breathing in freshly cut dust probably without the best ventilation or PPE, and lab rats and their pups, which are tiny and all skin. In contrast with the article, I don't think it's
enough evidence to err on the side of caution and completely stop using pine or even cedar. I think it's something to be aware of. I think each breed and also each individual chicken will probably have a different threshold of tolerance to pine/cedar. So if one starts acting weird for no reason, it might be worth considering a pine sensitivity.
I poured a bag of cedar sawdust in the run to mix in with some soggy
compost and, to my horror, the chickens started eating it! That was a couple weeks ago and they are all fine. I wouldn't worry about pine shavings.
Also, Caleb, Welcome to Permies!