Alternatives to wood shavings?

[reinvestment]

If you have trouble with mud clumps on feet, how about putting a small "pond" (maybe a large shallow pan) in front of the door so they get a foot wash when they go in or out of the coop? I always have a small amount of water that accumulates at the door of my coop. I don't have mud but I think a foot wash would be good anyhow.

 

[flybyedandy]

we have a 12x14 coop that is positioned next to our barn. i try to cover the cement floor with paper shreds i get from work which are free that seem to work well. the shreds stay put in there and don't seem to get stuck on feet and tracked anywhere. every week or two i scoop em up and put them onto our burn pile or the horse manure pile for composting. either way they get back into the soil eventually.

 

[willy546]

I wanted to repost this, I have used rice hulls for 10 years and agree with this... written by Razor Blade in 2010

I haven't seen rice hulls mentioned much so I've decided to draw people's attention to it as a great material for bedding. I have been using it for over a year for both chickens and ducks with great success. It is amazing how much better results I get with the ducks over pine shavings.

The main advantages of using rice hulls are:

1. Does not absorbs water

While clumps of rice hulls can retain water in large quantities, overall the material has no capacity to retain water which means most liquids quickly sink to the bottom. If you have a well drained floor (or using rice hulls over a think weed cloth over a metal mesh), the bedding will stay mostly dry. This is especially great with ducks and ducklings as they are messy with their water. In the duck brood I just move the bedding around the waterer under the heat lamp once ever few days and it keeps the brood dry and mostly odor free (wood shaving tend to stink up the place in under two days and must be replaced as they take a long time to dry).

2. Produces useful dust

Dust can be a problem for chickens and ducks but I never had any problem from rice hulls dust. On the other hand, the dusk is extremely useful when using the deep litter system. Any poop falling on the bedding gets immediately covered in a thin layer of dust and hulls, making it non-sticky and it dries much faster. I have 24 hens in a 6 x 12 coop, and I don't bother removing any bedding or poop anywhere for a whole year. The only smell inside is the feed. This is mostly because the poop (both on the bedding and under the roost) dries up extremely fast thanks to the rice hulls.

3. Cheap

At the local feed stores in Northern California, rice hulls are about 30-40% cheaper than shavings.

4. Easy to work with

Easy to spread, mix, level, and remove.

5. Has no odor

Wood shavings, especially pine, have a very strong scent which together with urine can be very intense and offensive to both fowl and people. Rice hulls have no smell at all.

6. Lasts forever

Because it doesn't retain moisture, it doesn't grow mold or any other bacteria like wet shavings. I have stored opened bags for over a year and it stayed in the same condition.

 

[Muffin14143]

I wanted to repost this, I have used rice hulls for 10 years and agree with this... written by Razor Blade in 2010

Where do get rice hulls? I don't have them at my local feed store. Do they stick to your clothes like woodshavings?

 

[Chook Chick]

I wanted to repost this, I have used rice hulls for 10 years and agree with this... written by Razor Blade in 2010

I haven't seen rice hulls mentioned much so I've decided to draw people's attention to it as a great material for bedding. I have been using it for over a year for both chickens and ducks with great success. It is amazing how much better results I get with the ducks over pine shavings.

The main advantages of using rice hulls are:

1. Does not absorbs water

While clumps of rice hulls can retain water in large quantities, overall the material has no capacity to retain water which means most liquids quickly sink to the bottom. If you have a well drained floor (or using rice hulls over a think weed cloth over a metal mesh), the bedding will stay mostly dry. This is especially great with ducks and ducklings as they are messy with their water. In the duck brood I just move the bedding around the waterer under the heat lamp once ever few days and it keeps the brood dry and mostly odor free (wood shaving tend to stink up the place in under two days and must be replaced as they take a long time to dry).

2. Produces useful dust

Dust can be a problem for chickens and ducks but I never had any problem from rice hulls dust. On the other hand, the dusk is extremely useful when using the deep litter system. Any poop falling on the bedding gets immediately covered in a thin layer of dust and hulls, making it non-sticky and it dries much faster. I have 24 hens in a 6 x 12 coop, and I don't bother removing any bedding or poop anywhere for a whole year. The only smell inside is the feed. This is mostly because the poop (both on the bedding and under the roost) dries up extremely fast thanks to the rice hulls.

3. Cheap

At the local feed stores in Northern California, rice hulls are about 30-40% cheaper than shavings.

4. Easy to work with

Easy to spread, mix, level, and remove.

5. Has no odor

Wood shavings, especially pine, have a very strong scent which together with urine can be very intense and offensive to both fowl and people. Rice hulls have no smell at all.

6. Lasts forever

Because it doesn't retain moisture, it doesn't grow mold or any other bacteria like wet shavings. I have stored opened bags for over a year and it stayed in the same condition.

I would try rice hulls but our local feed store doesn't carry them. I have to use what is readily available and very inexpensive, which is either pine shavings or sand.

If I could find where to get rice hulls and they weren't crazy expensive, I'd try them.

 

[bruceha2000]

Grinding egg shells to give as grit and extra calcium is the way to go.

I don't think egg shells count as grit.

Bruce

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Our CO-OP has a barn with loose hay for the horsey members, and the doorway where they load always has loose chopped hay spread around from drops while loading .
The chopped hay is free for the taking once it hits the ground outside the barn.
When I go buy my grain for the chickens and ducks, I bring along a couple canvas boat bags and fill them . The chopped hay goes right into the nest boxes and eventually finds its way onto the coop floor as hens exit the boxes.
When boxes are empty I just fill them with clean chopped hay.
I just hoe out the coop periodically and donate the poop and used hay to my neighbors' mulch pile.
I may try adding some sand from Home Depot to the coop floor mix- per a few previous posters... sounds like a good idea.

 

[willy546]

Guess I'm lucky, I have 3 feed stores in my area that carry them. They are about 8 bucks for a large for 3 cubic feet. Main use has been equine bedding, that was my first experience with them. Used for 10 years..If you can get it you'll never change. Ask your local feed store to stock it. There are a few different brands.

 

[Muffin14143]

Guess I'm lucky, I have 3 feed stores in my area that carry them. They are about 8 bucks for a large for 3 cubic feet. Main use has been equine bedding, that was my first experience with them. Used for 10 years..If you can get it you'll never change. Ask your local feed store to stock it. There are a few different brands.

They sound like Miracle Bedding Lol!

 

[Catfish267]

I think I am going to use 1/2" wire mesh so the poop falls right through. Is this a good idea?