bedding solutions

[sam2007]

hello I have eight chickens of different breeds an im trying to find alternative bedding besides tractor supply shavings. any suggestions?

 

[Raptor Chicken]

We switched to straw once we found a local supplier.

Goes a lot further and for us in our area is the same price per bale as a bag of the TSC pine shavings.

 

[nuthatched]

I use puppy pads, are you having problems with the shavings?

 

[sam2007]

We switched to straw once we found a local supplier.

Goes a lot further and for us in our area is the same price per bale as a bag of the TSC pine shavings.

thanks!

 

[NatJ]

Possibilities include:
wood chips from a tree-trimming service
dry leaves
straw
hay
pine needles
shredded paper
sawdust
sand

If you choose sand, you should not mix it with anything else. People who like sand often manage it like a kitty-litter box, and scoop chicken poop out frequently (maybe weekly, daily, or even twice daily.)

The other things I listed can all be combined with each other and with shavings. Basically, any source of dry organic material has a chance of being useful. I have a strong preference for whichever one is available free at the place & time I need it. Some of those materials have disadvantages, such as packing down into a mat that is hard to work with. Sometimes it is worth learning to deal with the disadvantages of a free or cheap material, and sometimes it is not.

I have even used dirt a few times: shovel it into the chicken coop, then when it gets a bit stinky, shovel it out into the garden and put in more dirt. It's not my favorite choice, because it is heavy and gets stinky pretty fast, but there was a time when I needed to move the dirt across the yard anyway-- so I let is spend time in the chicken pen on the way.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

We start the day olds on pine shavings changed out once a week. When they move to the coop we use straw. Our soil is sand and acidic from all the pines and the straw compost breaks down nicely.

 

[sam2007]

I use puppy pads, are you having problems with the shavings?

we've had a couple get sick for no aparent reason thinking it might be the bedding

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

we've had a couple get sick for no aparent reason thinking it might be the bedding

you aren't using cedar shavings are you?

 

[sam2007]

you aren't using cedar shavings are you?

no, pine

 

[nuthatched]

no, pine

It's not likely to be the bedding. What type of brooder and is the feed fresh?