Bedding for Bantam Cochins ?

[Jacklynn]

Which is better for Bantam Cochins: straw or pine shavings ? I'm leaning towards straw. Its also cheaper and easier to clean.I also want their feet feathers to stay clean.

Thoughts?

 

[pokey]

Straw stays wet once it gets wet and compacts. You have to keep shavings a few inches thick to be effective.feather footed breeds require a little more to keep their feet clean.

 

[Bantimna]

Well if your leaning towards straw there are a few things to consider,
1) Straw once wet, can become a mushy business, equaling a bit of dirty feathers
2) Straw some times contain hidden parasites inside the straw it self, most of the time mites, fleas.
3) Straw is cheap! Meaning it is easy to come by.

Now for the shavings!
1) Shavings are sometimes contaminated with chemicals
2) Because shavings are slightly 'thinner' than straw you'll need to add a bit of layers
3) Shavings where I live are expensive to find, those NOT contaminated with chemicals/rat droppings/urine of cats

Right, both have pro's and con's, I'd go for shavings. So much cleaner even though sometimes a bit more expensive than straw.

 

[speckledhen]

Good quality pine shavings would be my choice. Straw really smells awful to me, is not absorbent and mats down when wet. Also, bugs live in straw better than pine shavings, not a good thing! I started out with straw when I got my first chicks, but quickly changed to shavings when I didn't care for the smell in the coop. You may have to experiment to see which works best for you.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Having owned WHITE bantam cochins of the 'Soup Quality' variety once upon a time..... I highly recommend you stick with a 3 to 4 inch layer of kiln dried pine shavings.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

I buy those large bales of Aspen shavings - really easy to keep turned. They are cut a bit larger than the pine.

 

[GardeNerd]

I use pine shavings.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I used kiln dried pine. I try to get the large flake kind but sometimes have to get the small sawdust looking stuff. The large flake kind really stays nice for a long while.