What bedding do you use?

[Mutt Farm]

Thanks for your input. Do you have any issues with wetness? I have been told to avoid cedar because it can cause respiratory problems in chickens. Maybe pidgeons are different? I'm completely new to this and completing the coop this week. Any help is appreciated!

Hi!

Welcome! I would avoid cedar. In Seattle, mold may be a concern. I use sand for both the coop and run, but I'm in so Cal where it rains every few years

. Lots of folks here use a deep litter method in the run, That might work for you? You can type deep litter into the search bar. Here's a link. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/70/deep-litter-method

 

[Twistedfeather]

Thanks for your input. Do you have any issues with wetness? I have been told to avoid cedar because it can cause respiratory problems in chickens. Maybe pidgeons are different? I'm completely new to this and completing the coop this week. Any help is appreciated!

Yes Pigeons are totally different. The only thing that cedar could benefit chickens is mite control. But there are better ways to get rid of pests.

 

[Daisy Dana]

We use deep sand in our coop and love it. We rake it weekly and put sweet DMZ in with it. We use fresh hay in the nesting boxes and so the coop smells really nice all the time.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi,

My coop is actually a shed and i don't use anything on the floor (concrete) - just sweep it daily and scrub it out twice a week. Nesting boxes - sand.

 

[mattie2011]

I use straw in my coop. It is cost effective and gives them a little extra warmth on clld evenings.for my chicken run I fenced in a 40' x 20' area that has grass, raspberry, tomatoes, corn and clover I have growing in it. In the morning I go in and open the hatch and they just wonder around where ever they want.

Before I get hit on concerns with the fence it is securely mounted to the building, stands 6' tall and drapes out under ground at 1' length at 6" deep. I don't have a roof over it yet, but I am getting there.

 

[SueT]

My husband is a wood turner, and so I have lots of wood shavings: cherry, walnut, osage orange, etc.--from trees on our land. My chicken house always smells sweet. I scoop out what's under the roosts,
every few days, and since they spend their days outdoors, it usually doesn't really need changing elsewhere. I've used it since my girls were hatchlings and now they are layers.

 

[henless]

I use shavings, leaves, pine straw, leftover garden greens and whatever I can get my hands on. This goes in my coop & run. I have a dirt floor in both. I clean it out once a year and put in my compost pile. When I detect a little smell, i just add more leaves/shavings. I never add DE, since I want the good bugs in my litter to help compost it and give the chooks something to dig around for. I put shavings in the nests and just dump out the old on the floor and add new when it's time to refresh them.

I love doing deep litter. If I had known about this, and how easy it would be to have chickens using deep litter, I would have had them years ago.

 

[braddockfarm]

We are also team sand It works best for us.

 

[3riverschick]

How often do you clean & change the chips? Or do you just keep adding more & more for a while?

Hi,
I will sometimes add extra chips. Eventually, the chips will start to pack down and be hard to stir with my hand. ( no, I don't stir them with my hand, It just "looks" that way). Stirring with a stick works. You can sprinkle some Sweet PDZ over the top of the chips to cut any ammonia smell if it starts to smell and weather or something keeps you from changing the chips. For me, I would spread some DE and some sweet PDZ on top the old chips, then add the new chips ; 2-3 inches on top of that. When it starts to look like it is settling, then I change it. Maybe once a month or every 2 months.
Best,
Karen

 

[braddockfarm]

I said we are team sand but that isnt exactly explaining anything. Sand, for us, is the best solution. Our ground stays very saturated. A 1/10 of rain will flood our yard. So, we had to find an option that would irrigate well but also be easy and economical to maintain. The sand is 6" deep. It is raked and loosened up and turned every 3-6 months. Patches are turned for dust baths. The ground doesnt stay wet. Moisture does not pose the problems that a deep litter or any chips would. Not moldy. And, easy to keep from smelling to high heaven. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. And, above all, it is super cheap. Because of the way it is maintained, it costs oh maybe $30/year (if for whatever reason I cannpt find it free which is never).