what do you use for bedding in your coop straw or shavings?

[amillecay]

Quote:
Yeah it been great here the weather is about 50 and windy right now so i'm not complaining at all!

I found the straw really hard to get out but it was nice when it was dry it just got wet so fast so I went back to shavings.

 

[LolaIsAChicken]

I use softwood shavings, for the nests I use shredded straw. Works perfectly!!

 

[Mattemma]

I think straw is good for the nest box. I use pine shavings for the floor. Tried sand and the coop smelled funky despite constant cleaning. The pine shavings from the pet store are so soft and no dust,but I get the ones from the feed store for cheap.Chickens actually dust bathe in it. I have a sand box,but the dand is super cold.Have not caught anyone using it.

 

[ci_cyfarth]

Not sure if this is weird or not, but I was kind of considering neither and using Carefresh (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21312) for the coop instead. I already buy a fair amount of it because I have rats, and it seems to compost well.

For the nest box, though, I was probably going to go with straw.

 

[maggienchamp]

I use pine shavings throughout the whole coop (nest boxes included). It seems to work pretty well, and I don't have to change it as often as when I was using straw.

 

[abbylane35]

I use shredded paper for my nesting boxes...I have a cross cut shredder for my documents. I fill the nesting boxes right up. I have found that it is easy to clean out of the nesting boxes when it is dirty, it seems to be comfortable for the chickens to sit on, it decomposes in my compost pile quickly, and it is an added measure of security...since after the papers are shredded, I don't think that ANYONE is going to go to my chicken coop to try to piece my documents back together to steal my information. I'm not sure if it is a recommended bedding, but I've been using it in my hen house for about five years. I do have straw on the ground for my ducks, only because they seem to make a mess of everything, the paper just turns to mush with the littlest bit of water...

It's very inexpensive...since most of it is junk mail and/or bills that are no longer needed...

 

[amillecay]

Quote:
that's funny i was thinking about that yesterday while at the pet store i wonder how it would work? it's seems like it would be warm for them but I don't know how good it would be for them

 

[amillecay]

Quote:
yeah when I was useing the straw I was chaging it way way to often I just like the pine shavings the best they are super easy to pick up poop every day toso it doesn't smell to bad

 

[maggiec1951]

We use straw/hay in the coop, nesting boxes and also some in the run. As with some of the others, living with pine trees, we have a "natural" coating of pine needles in the run most of the time. DH built a window box on his shed and it is the perfect place for me to store trash bags plus I keep a box of latex gloves in there for hand picking the huge clumps of poo out of the coop. I throw a couple of handfuls of alfalfa down every couple of days for them to eat; they don't seem to eat the regular straw/hay. Like amillecay I have a rosemary bush that is about 5 ft tall and when I need to prune it I throw the trimmings into the coop and it does smell nice. It grows along my sidewalk so when anyone brushes against it it releases lots of scent and we don't have nearly the problem with mosquitoes out front. Hmmm, maybe I should plant some in the back yard.

 

[gigglssmls]

I tried paper shredded in nests but the hens were not thrilled with it so I changed to straw and egg production increased. I am terminally ill and my nurse helps me but I honestly think it is easy to clean I use a leaf rake and the straw filters through but the poop doesn't so it is easy to keep coop clean. I have geese and chickens in there and geese can be nasty but I have had no problems keeping it clean and no odor problems. I clean it every day but only takes a few minutes. We do a full stripping and change out ALL the straw once every 10 days to 14 days depending on how it is. When we change all the straw out we do it while chickens are grazing in the yard and scrub it down with bleach water and a broom. We put holes (small drain holes for water to drain. Once dry (about an hour later) we lay new straw and open coop back up. The total cleaning takes about 20 minutes not counting drying time. We will change this up a bit when it stays below freezing but we keep a heat light in there on the upper rafts. The runs are just grass and dirt but they spend all afternoon and morning in the yard and when the sun starts to set they walk themselves into the coop and when it gets dark I go out, turn on light co a quick count and then close up the coop door. They love the straw..... the only problem is that the wind moves through the run doors on both sides and blows it around sometimes into piles.