Alternatives to wood shavings?

[missnu01]

I use straw...it does end up all over the yard and what not from falling out of the coop when I drag out the ramp and stuff like that...but it's been great so far. I'll never try shavings. They are too expensive. I have a lot of shavings now that are drying..when we cut up firewood and take down trees I bag up the shavings and use those sometimes...but in the way of things that have to be bought. I will always buy a few bales of hay...and it doesn't stick to your clothes and what not...anyway I am rambling, but I vote hay or straw.

 

[dorothyashley07]

I have used pine straw before when I ran out of shavings. The chickens dont mind it all all especially if its just in a the run area. I used the "paper" bedding for the nest boxes though, the stuff you get for rabbits. hope that helps

 

[cwalsh2]

If you wear the same shoes in the house as you wear in the chicken coop- something will get tracked in no matter what. As to what I use. Whatever is cheapest. Usually straw, but this year it was expensive so I bought wood shavings. When my fiance in town raked up her leaves, they did not go to waste either.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Question: Using hard course shavings, or rough shavings...... has anyone had issues with bumblefoot?

I switched to straw in one coop this winter and I found it much wetter underneath, the shavings are easily scratched around with a little cracked corn but I cant get them to toss the straw. LOL

Also are the stove pellets safe? are they natural?

 

[CrazyChiknLady2]

I use river sand,I like it because its easy to scoop the poop with a cat litter scooper.you could always keep a pair of rubber boots or Crocks specifically for the coop.Good luck

 

[ScottN73]

Cross cut shreaded paper is what I use. Very little of it sticks to the eggs and I put a layer of food grade diatomaceous earth under it. My hens love to dust bathe in it inside the run and it just falls right off of them. Never had any lice or mites. It absorbs poop and water like no other and clumps almost like that expensive cat litter. Best of all it's free!!!

 

[Our Roost]

Hay is for horses and a lot of other farm animals to eat, but not good for chickens bedding? Its also very expensive and absorbant. Not the same alergic reaction to straw as with hay so i'm told. Our coop has a dirt floor and straw works best for us. It can get pretty matted down in the winter but wont cling to your clothes. My birds dive in everytime I put fresh bedding down! We generally rake out and replace it every 3 weeks. In the winter months we just add more to it. Straw is about $2.50 to $3.00 per bail right now. Much cheaper than pine shaving bundles. We use the pine shavings in our brooding boxes only. Like most everything, it needs some maintenance. Good luck with that.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Hay is for horses and a lot of other farm animals to eat, but not good for chickens bedding? Its also very expensive and absorbant. Not the same alergic reaction to straw as with hay so i'm told. Our coop has a dirt floor and straw works best for us. It can get pretty matted down in the winter but wont cling to your clothes. My birds dive in everytime I put fresh bedding down! We generally rake out and replace it every 3 weeks. In the winter months we just add more to it. Straw is about $2.50 to $3.00 per bail right now. Much cheaper than pine shaving bundles. We use the pine shavings in our brooding boxes only. Like most everything, it needs some maintenance. Good luck with that.

that is cheap for straw! I just had 8 bales delivered today and they were 5 bucks plus!

 

[blondiebee181]

As a couple people have already said....I use wood pellets in my hen house poop drawer...(It has a welded wire floor) and I also used them in the brooder. They are super absorbent, heavier so they don't blow around and don't stick to anything. Plus they smell super nice. Be sure to get the horse-stall kind, not the stove burning kind. In the run, I use sand. It is like a giant cat litter box. I don't even scoop it, it just gets turned over and ground up by the chickens. Everything stays MUCH drier, and I have ducks so dry is a must.

 

[Gifa]

Be sure to get the horse-stall kind, not the stove burning kind.

Because?