coop bedding- what do you prefer??

[RezChamp]

Hubby is saying leave homemade coop bottom bare wood,I am saying NO.I will continue with plan to line with tarp tacked down and will put combo of wheat straw and pine needles.I also found recycle bin on side fits perfect in half of house...easy clean.Run is dirt with mint growing in it.

The Dixie Chick move is weather delayed !....Lil Coop moved and covered.

I personally would use only a UV protected heavier weight plastic tarp. That being said I would use a tarp only as a last resort. I have used untreated T&G 3/4" pine plywood with beeswax as a sealant then installed a heavy rubberized linoleum( I hear some call it congoleum) that has a somewhat ruff finish. It ain't as slippery as some finishes which cause falls and skids which cause injuries.
At one point I used bare plywood. It had good footing, washed decently and dried in about 2-3 hrs(with the help of an oscillating fan). It lasted almost 7 years. Now this coop is essentially re- designed as a dirtfloored shed. Fine enough, wasn't insulated anyhow.


MINT.
Who'd'a thunk. We have tons of WildMint. We use it as a refreshing drink and many medicinal applications. We don't have many raccoons here but numbers are increasing( Non- indigenous here. Apparently introduced by DNR for some stupid reason beyond my mental capacity)
But lots of other useful "chicken raiser" applications eh. Righton. Thanks. Gonna try it.
Another plant that smells good and repels some pests and parasites is what I think what non-native ppl call BalsamFir. Around here we refer to most plants by English traslation of local Native names. But according to pix and descriptions I found on Google, yup...BalsamFir.
I tried in my sled-dogs houses with straw and spruce. Killed the flea infestation that hitched a ride on a dog dog I bought from a woman close to Wpg. Also seemed to get rid of or atleast weaken the round worm introduced to my dogs from a stray mutt brought here from Minnisota.


TTFN

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I personally would use only a UV protected heavier weight plastic tarp. That being said I would use a tarp only as a last resort. I have used untreated T&G 3/4" pine plywood with beeswax as a sealant then installed a heavy rubberized linoleum( I hear some call it congoleum) that has a somewhat ruff finish. It ain't as slippery as some finishes which cause falls and skids which cause injuries.
At one point I used bare plywood. It had good footing, washed decently and dried in about 2-3 hrs(with the help of an oscillating fan). It lasted almost 7 years. Now this coop is essentially re- designed as a dirtfloored shed. Fine enough, wasn't insulated anyhow.


MINT.
Who'd'a thunk. We have tons of WildMint. We use it as a refreshing drink and many medicinal applications. We don't have many raccoons here but numbers are increasing( Non- indigenous here. Apparently introduced by DNR for some stupid reason beyond my mental capacity)
But lots of other useful "chicken raiser" applications eh. Righton. Thanks. Gonna try it.
Another plant that smells good and repels some pests and parasites is what I think what non-native ppl call BalsamFir. Around here we refer to most plants by English traslation of local Native names. But according to pix and descriptions I found on Google, yup...BalsamFir.
I tried in my sled-dogs houses with straw and spruce. Killed the flea infestation that hitched a ride on a dog dog I bought from a woman close to Wpg. Also seemed to get rid of or atleast weaken the round worm introduced to my dogs from a stray mutt brought here from Minnisota.


TTFN

I agree---wild mint is wonderful. I've been gathering it all summer and drying it from the rafters in my kitchen. I'm going to try adding the balsamfir to my coop. It didn't even occur to me it might be useful with fleas--they are a bane this time of year. Thanks for the info.

 

[Mommy Hen 14]

what is sweet pdz?

It's a horse stall freshener, it dries up poop fast and leaves less dust (at least in my own opinion) than sand. It's compostable and harmless if eaten. It's almost like a kitty litter.

 

[subhanalah]

It's a horse stall freshener, it dries up poop fast and leaves less dust (at least in my own opinion) than sand. It's compostable and harmless if eaten. It's almost like a kitty litter.

it's zeolite.

 

[jerrey]

I use pine shaving and d h I also have plywood on dirt floor and some open places also I try to clean the floors out daily to keep everything clean

 

[jerrey]

I don't like straw when it get gets wet it is very haven a lot harder to get out the pine shaves are lite and can be used in the garden my garden looks great this year and I like the smell of it

 

[jak2002003]

I have a covered run and coop... no rain can get in, so it stays really dry.

I use a mix of river sand / natural dirt.

I dig it / turn the soil in the run and coop about once a month and pick up any feathers that have collected in the corners.

It never smells, always looks tidy. The sand / dirty is heavy so it does not blow about and get into the drinking water or feeders.

The hens love the scratch about in it, dust bath etc.

I think it helps that its not overcrowded in there too.

I think the poops dry up, then break up as the chickens scratch about. Then mix in to the substrate and perhaps 'bugs' eat them.

 

[gunnermccaw]

I read that sand is good but to use construction grade because it has small rocks within (The Chicken Chick.com) . I guess it would be similar to pea gravel, but I haven't purchased it or even seen the construction grade. I am using the shavings but not happy with them. This is my first flock too. The girls seem to scratch away the shavings and poo on the bare floor. I plan to switch to the construction grade on my hen house floor and coop floor if I like the way it looks.

 

[Kmjmwalker]

My hubby is a woodworker so I have been using his planer shavings, which at the moment are cherry, not too fine, so no dust and they really absorb, so poo is real easy to clean out with a cat pan scoop.

 

[micheleag2010]

My coop is raised up on a cement slab foundation and the nesting boxes are off the ground. Should I be putting anything on the ground of it for my chickens? I use pine shavings in the nesting boxes. I'm in the process of building a ladder type plank for my chickens to be able to reach both levels of the boxes. Does this sound ideal?