Bedding for coop floor

[joebwe25]

What do you guys think is a better bedding, sand or straw?
We're having friends over that want to see the whole setup.
I'd appreciate any thoughts and ideas.
Thanks,
Joe

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

I will say straw if you can afford it.Sand is easier to pick threw but my babys like to nestle in something at night.What do you like better,chocolate chip cookie crumbled sheets or nice fluffy down feather comforter?....lol....Bah who knows!

 

[joebwe25]

We have 4 bales of straw left from my birthday party but we already have sand in the coop.
I wanted to put more sand in but my mother wants to use the straw.

 

[Southern28Chick]

I use straw. I can get 4 giant bales for the price of one walmart bag of pine shavings. My chickens love to scratch through wheat straw. I have sand in a little pit outside that they use for grit and sometimes dust baths.

 

[Barb Schuetz]

I haven't had a coop up for very long (2 months) but I'm really liking the deep litter method so far. I just put about 4 inches of wood shavings, a good sprinkle of DE and then a good 6 inch layer of straw. Once in a while I'll take the pitch fork and "fluff" it or even flip it and add more straw. I have only actually cleaned out my coop once and that was because my meat chickens decided to spend the day IN the coop rather than free ranging with the others and made quite the mess. This method does not work well with meat birds. I have a couple sandboxes that were supposed to be for my son that all my poultry uses for various purposes.

 

[joebwe25]

What's DE?

 

[Barb Schuetz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

I think it's important to note that there are different 'grades' of DE. Food grade is safe for hman consumption, Feed grade is safe for your animals but isn't advisable for human consumption for whatever reason. You can mix it in the chickens' food at 5%, it varies for other animals. It can also be used full strength for dust bathing and as much/little as you like for bedding. I use it in all of these ways to prevent parasites and other small noseeum yuckies.

 

[bigzio]

Pine shaving is the best bedding hands down. It is more absorbant than straw in the coop. In the run I would say that sand works great as long as the sand is kept clean.

In the coop straw will work, but doesn't dry the poo like pine shavings does. It creates alot of poo pancakes, unlike the small dry pieces that are the result of enough pine bedding. Anything, like leaves or pine straw works, however pine shavings are the best. Good Luck.

bigzio

 

[jessied1227]

I like the pine shavings *much* better than straw. I put it down about 3 inches deep. 2 bales at our Agway will do the whole coop floor plus the nest box area, and it's $5.49 for the bale. I add a few handfuls every couple of days, and throw down some treat grains or crumble to get them to scratch it up a bit.

Jess

 

[Wolfpacker]

I agree regarding shavings. Just bought a bag today for five bucks. I too throw several handfuls all around the coop, in the nest box, and in the roost tray. Never have a problem with smells and I do believe it helps with the flies.