I got some chicks (pullets) and am using the shredded paper that the store gave me. What is best for bedding? Paper, straw, hay, pine shavings???
I like using pine shavings. They are pretty absorbant. From what I have read on here do not use cedar shavings. They can cause respiratory problems with the birds.
If they are truly chicks (still in the brooder/ under 3 months) I read not to use cedar. But in the hen house(when they aer of laying age), I would recommend cedar to keep down mite/lice populations. I don't use all cedar, usually 70/30. Pine shavings are the nicest/best, but I just use what I have. Paper is fine if you have a good source of it, but it tends to pack down and just become a hard floor covered in poop. little paper pieces are better that the typical strips of paper from the shredder, since they are more likely to stay loose and fluffy. Straw also tends to pack down, and, as with paper, the more chopped it is, the less likely for it to pack down.
I like sand mixed with DE or a combo of sand (kicked out of their sand boxes) and pine shavings. paper and straw don't contain the odor.
I heard that wood shavings weren't the best - could contribute to mites (Some might think differently). I use leaves for my aviaries. The leaves break down to mulch/manure mixture. Does not stink at all. All I have to do is add leaves every few weeks. I raked up enough leaves from my yard to last me until the end of next summer. Depending on how many you need you can keep them dry in large trash bags or under a large tarp. In spring I take the broken down substance for use in my garden. For the indoors I use hay the goats don't eat. Once a week I take a stiff rake and fluff/mix it up. I change it every few weeks. In one of our cotes, I use sand for the floor. It stays pretty clean because we use a poop hammock.
