A few questions about coop flooring...

[erinangele]

My husband is adding the finishing touches to the chicken coop, and i would like some opinions on which type of materials to use in the coop/run.

1) What type of material should we put in the nesting boxes? Most coops i have seen use hay, but could pine shavings be used?

2) The floor of the coop is hard wire with a drawer underneath. I was thinking pine shavings would be the easiest/neatest, but would hay work? I guess im trying to avoid having too many bags of "bedding" material laying around, but i also want to keep clean up as easy as possible.

3) The floor of our run is also hard wire cloth, but we have put a couple inches of "play sand" over the top of it. Is this OK, or should i mix dirt into (or anything else) into it.

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[KristyHall]

it depends. do you plan to compost it? plain shredded paper, newspaper, and old bills (nothing with colored ink) make great bedding. you can get a little cheap shredder and shred all your scrap paper and it composts well. so does hay,, straw, and grass clippings. the chickens will munch on the hay straw and grass clippings too and it all composts really well. Pine needles and pine shavings are not the best for composting and the pine shavings can encourage termites.

i mix a little red cedar chips in with my straw or hay for their bedding. not a lot of cedar. just a little. the cedar shavings (which you can get at any pet store) discourages mites, insects and snakes. Do not use strait cedar. it is very aromatic and could cause irritation. plus it is expensive for strait bedding.


local feed stores let you buy bales of hay and you can remove them one flake at a time as needed.

 

[erinangele]

I do compost. It sounds like hay with some cedar chips might be my best bet. I don't think i have enough bills to line the bottom of the coop, but its good to know that is an option.

Ok so i want to avoid strait cedar, would it be labeled that way? Obviously im clueless, lol.

 

[Arielle]

Without bedding, you will find that poo sticks and dries and then needs scraping. A thin layer of bedding will keep the poo from sticking, allowing a quick clean off daily or every couple days depending on the number of poos accumulating.

The high demand for shavings (made into stove pellets) is jacking up the prices over the last few years. And, shavings and hay prices go up in price in the winter months.

I'm all for recycling by shredding newprint etc. Most use soy inks which are safe. You will save a bundle if you invest in a shredder.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
I think the poster means straight cedar. IOW only cedar with nothing else.

I'm planning to use pine shavings. I haven't heard about any problems with it so far.

 

[erinangele]

Quote:
I think the poster means straight cedar. IOW only cedar with nothing else.

I'm planning to use pine shavings. I haven't heard about any problems with it so far.

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[tclegg]

Cedar is a hard wood and is usually not recommended for animals because it can cause damage to lungs and feet if you are going to use shavings use pine..IMO that is what I have used from day one and have had no problems...

 

[KristyHall]

Quote:
I think the poster means straight cedar. IOW only cedar with nothing else.

I'm planning to use pine shavings. I haven't heard about any problems with it so far.

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.

that is exactly what I meant

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

I use hay in the run and in the coop. Deep liter method and compost it. Works great. I crumble dried lemon balm, peppermint, tansy and spearmint in the nests and on the floor. Takes care of the insects and smells great