What is the best bedding for coops?

[Birdy Buddy]

I like wheat straw. It is really cheap and one bale will last months. My coop has a wood floor. Every week or so I throw a layer of straw into the coop and in the adjacent run. The run surface when I first move the tractor starts out grass but in a day or so it's scorched earth. I leave the tractor for a few weeks and keep adding straw.
The great thing about straw is that it composts readily and when the chickens poo is mixed in the pile gets really hot. After I use the bale I go around and rake up all the straw from all the places the coop has been and make a huge compost pile.






This shows the underside of the coop floor. I rake out the coop and add new straw when I move the coop or every week or two. I usually have aggregate mix for making concrete that is cleaned sand and gravel without the cement. I throw a handful of mix in when I move the coop.

 

[mamatink7]

I like wheat straw. It is really cheap and one bale will last months. My coop has a wood floor. Every week or so I throw a layer of straw into the coop and in the adjacent run. The run surface when I first move the tractor starts out grass but in a day or so it's scorched earth. I leave the tractor for a few weeks and keep adding straw. The great thing about straw is that it composts readily and when the chickens poo is mixed in the pile gets really hot. After I use the bale I go around and rake up all the straw from all the places the coop has been and make a huge compost pile. This shows the underside of the coop floor. I rake out the coop and add new straw when I move the coop or every week or two. I usually have aggregate mix for making concrete that is cleaned sand and gravel without the cement. I throw a handful of mix in when I move the coop.

thank you. Could I use this mixed with DE? I heard DE really helps. I will spray walls with deodorizer (orange peel recipe) then floor with straw or sand. Hubby not sure about sand either.

 

[mamatink7]

I like the sand idea can you use cat litter as a substitute or will this be harmful. I am using hay on top of pine shavings should I be concerned with mites or any other insects.

I wouldn't use kitty litter just in case. There are ways to keep mites away. Flies, you use barn fly catcher and vanilla car freshener.

 

[berettp]

Vanilla car freshener? Really I will try that.

 

[mamatink7]

Vanilla car freshener? Really I will try that.

yeah lol. The Christmas tree hang them several places throughout coop.

 

[berettp]

Would it work in my house. Would look funny but hey flys

 

[mamatink7]

Would it work in my house. Would look funny but hey flys

yeah it would but we use fly tape instead. Lol

 

[Birdy Buddy]

thank you. Could I use this mixed with DE? I heard DE really helps. I will spray walls with deodorizer (orange peel recipe) then floor with straw or sand. Hubby not sure about sand either.

I suppose by DE you mean diatomaceous earth. DE works great for mite control but don't use it where you live. It is a nasty eye irritant. It is a powder so it might not do much good ridding the roost of mites.

 

[berettp]

Is the DE the same as the pool filter DE.

 

[mamatink7]

Is the DE the same as the pool filter DE.

don't think so. This is food grade DE found at TSC, RK and other farm stores.