Assistance Requested Regarding Straw

[ChickensLove]

Hello Everyone! I was wondering if there is something besides straw that I can use on the bottom of the chicken coop to keep my chickens, comfortable and warm? Straw is very messy! I'm thinking there must be an alternative that would work better. Thank you so much for any suggestions.

 

[moniquem]

I use pine shavings. Sometimes I mix both hay and the shavings.

 

[chickens really]

Sand or pine shavings I use.

 

[WindingRoad]

Sand or pine shavings I use.

x2

 

[aart]

I was wondering if there is something besides straw that I can use on the bottom of the chicken coop to keep my chickens, comfortable and warm?

I use PDZ on poop boards(cleaned daily) and pine shavings on the floor(totally changed out twice a year).

Many things can work....what works best for you might depend on your coop configuration, your manure management, what is easily available and storable, and your climate.

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[flyin-lowe]

I always start with a couple inches of pine shavings. Then every couple weeks I add layer of grass clippings, or leaves, or straw.....I alternate them but the variety seems to work well. When things get really cold or there is snow on the ground I use either pine shavings or straw. Once it thaws out and I can go to the fence line and rake up some leaves that aren't soaking wet I throw those in. About every 6 months I shovel it all out and spread it on my garden. Chickens love it, my garden loves it, I love only having to clean it twice a year.

 

[ChickensLove]

Thank you so much everyone!! I'm wondering if there is something that is not so messy?

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Peanut hills are easy to clean up but I have no idea how warm they’d be.

 

[Ribh]

Hemp ~ but like straw it can get a bit dusty.

 

[Acre4Me]

Thank you so much everyone!! I'm wondering if there is something that is not so messy?

Not having chickens would be the cleanest, TBH.

In all seriousness, get large flake pine shavings. I find the smaller ones clump together much more as they absorb the moisture and get stuck together by the poop, making it harder to toss around.

We put a sheet of linoleum on the coop floor, so bedding is pretty easily removed.

We have an elevated coop, so the wheelbarrow can go under the access deck, and when the shavings get cleaned out they are swept directly into the wheelbarrow, but not to difficult to use a shovel. Cleaning hack: use a snow shovel, has worked the best for cleaning out the shavings quickly, and not damaging the linoleum.