Bedding for winter?

[CPT]

Hello!

We are new to this as temps are starting to dip......I have some straw laid down for now, but will need to clean it out again.

I will probably not used straw since it will snow soon and will retain more moisture/odor. What do you all use for bedding / odor control?

Thanks!

 

[RacehorsesRock]

I know nothing about chickens, but for my horses sawdust/woodchips keeps the odor down.

 

[blackdog043]

I use wood shavings but I also have a poop board filled with sweet PDZ. I scoop out the poop every day or two.

 

[aart]

Poop boards with PDZ sifted every day and sent to compost.
Pine shavings on coop floor, totally changed out every late summer/fall and added to the deep litter in run. Only odor is when a fresh one is dropped, especially a cecal.

 

[aart]

I know nothing about chickens, but for my horses sawdust/woodchips keeps the odor down.

Curious then, why are you here?
You must know about Sweet PDZ tho, eh?

 

[RacehorsesRock]

Curious then, why are you here?
You must know about Sweet PDZ tho, eh?

I'm in training to be a vet tech so I hang around here to learn a bit.

 

[aart]

Curious then, why are you here?
You must know about Sweet PDZ tho, eh?

I'm in training to be a vet tech so I hang around here to learn a bit.

I see. Are you familiar with Sweet PDZ?

 

[dennisma1]

.

Hello!

We are new to this as temps are starting to dip......I have some straw laid down for now, but will need to clean it out again.

I will probably not used straw since it will snow soon and will retain more moisture/odor. What do you all use for bedding / odor control?

Thanks!

inside my coop which is pretty small for warmth here in the frozen north I use pine shavings..they are cheap. I layer it up deep. winter. outside I use straw/sand/ shavings just to keep the mud down in their fenced yard . I use a 40 watt bulb in my coop that goes off at 4am for added light so they will lay in the dark months (sun sets here around 4pm) chickens are hardy they huddle up for warmth. if the chicadees can survive the winter so can our chickens.
As for cleaning, I just rake and scoop up poop whenever it does smell or looks bad, I'm kind of lax. For healthy chickens, try to free range, i've done both, when I didn't free range, the chickens seemed like a bunch of lazy fat dullards. I had more penned up chickens drop dead than I ever did with the free rangers. I do have three dogs so predators are not that big an issue.

 

[RacehorsesRock]

I see. Are you familiar with Sweet PDZ?

No, is it a type of bedding? I've never heard of it.

 

[henless]

I use leaves/pine straw for my bedding. It's free, you just have to rake it up and haul it into the coop. I also will throw in grass clippings and garden leftovers when I have them. I put the same things in the run to keep it from being a slimy, gooey mess.