coop bedding- what do you prefer??

[Olguiya106]

Do you give the flies to the chickens after? I'm new at this

 

[Jada Lozano]

Oh yes my chickens love it oh sorry and

 

[happyfrenchman]

I like sand. That article cited at the beginning of this thread is (IMO) ridiculous. The only thing I see as a draw back with sand is that it is heavy. But it is fireproof, so incubating chicks with hot lamps is a little safer. It is plenty insulating (yes insulating) and things like snakes and other vermin have a hard time hiding in it. When it is time to change it, you throw it on the lawn or in the garden. It is a natural component for composting and mixes with organic matter. That is my two cents.

 

[Mommy Hen 14]

Thanks so much! We really love our girls, and since I was getting ALL of my advice and learning here, I figured I'd jump in!

welcome to byc glad you joined us!
your coops sounds very easy to take care of!

 

[katierosew]

If one were to use pea gravel or sand, how do you clean out their coop? Scoop it up like a litter box? Or are you constantly replacing large amounts of either? Also, where does one get bags of sand and/or pea gravel?

 

[tryingmyluck]

as far as cleaning it im not sure but i would proably use a shovel and scoop it out you can useally get both of in 50 pound bags at your local lowes or home depot it is ussaly stock with the concrete mix but pending on your budget that can get costly again pending on the size of your coop i would check with a local landscape dealer or a nursey and see about getting it by the ton most of the time they we deliver and dump it

 

[Our Roost]

Ya see, (IMO) its all about easy maintenance. Constantly cleaning up after chickens is something I try to minimize. The less work I have to do, the happier I am. Its also about out of pocket expenses. You have to generalize whats going to work best for your situation and how much time and effort you want to put into it. A little more thought sometimes saves a whole lot of effort later. If you find yourself getting tied down to constant attentive needs, then chances are what you are doing needs more thought to do someting easier. Coop size, and flock size plays a cructial roll in what part you yourself will be spending with the cleanup and waste disposal unit! This is an open forum and the perspective derived is only intended to give you options and suggestions. Use it the best way you can to configure a plan that best suits your own needs to spend as minimal time and effort maintaining it during all types of weather and circumstances.

 

[greggking]

Here in the high desert, the "soil" under my run is granite and decomposing granite. Ive added about an inch of sand from the wash (dry riverbed) 50 yards away.Its easy to shovel up 4, 5 gal. buckets of dirty sand dump it around the mesquite trees, and add back the same amount fresh. I can rake out the poop in between changing which I do every two weeks or so. My run is shaded, doesn't smell, and in the afternoon when its well over a 100' I wet a portion of the run. So far no problems.

 

[chickaDi]

I've had my flock for almost a year now and am also researching different types of bedding/chicken run material. My coop stays nice and dry, so I think I will continue to use a pine shaving/DE base with a few accumulating layers of straw on top. I find it very easy to clean out when needed, and the only time I noticed it was getting a little funky was when it was time to do the spring cleanout. Also, the "deep litter" method worked very well for me this past winter. We had many zero degree nights, and many days below freezing, but the girls did well with increased temps in the coop. I don't have the ability to run electricity out to my coop, so this seemed like the best option. I was quite happy with the results. I let it accumulate throughout the winter, turning it over and adding more shavings and straw when needed, and it only started to smell when spring arrived. I was also amazed with the great compost it produced, which (although some gardeners say it is not preferred) made for some good aged fertilizer in my garden this year.
My problem comes with my run... A few weeks ago we had a good 5 days of rain and the smell... well...

!! My research has led me towards having a sand run. However, I have come across a few sites that claim that you should not use sandbox sand due to bacteria harboring issues. Dry "river bed/river rock" and construction grade sand was suggested due to the larger particles allowing more airflow.

This has been quite the informational thread! Thank you for your original question post

. I will continue to follow.

Diane

 

[soniaartist]

...

Thank you so much! I posted another thread asking of that was the right stuff (food grade), and it was suggested that I wait to use it because my girls are only 7 weeks. I don't know if the calcium supplement will interfere with their growth? I'm new at this, and just basically understand no calcium until they start laying - something about it interfering with bone growth (?). I wasn't going to add it to their food - just a light sprinkle in the coop and in the dust bath area. Do you think it's okay to use it with younger birds, or do I need to wait until they start laying?

I'm new to this also..mine are 7 weeks old. I was headed to my feed store on monday for DE because I forgot it wh

en I was there getting electrolytes also. Im in Austin Tx and we are moving from the brooder to the coop tomorrow. My husband and I built our first coop and run finished today. The run is the reason im here reading this debate. Very interesting insights. Hope I did this all correct..submitting the photo and all. I have 4 black sex links and tomorrow 2 bantam silkies(seperate coop and run)all hens...rooster restricted