Bedding

[aart]

What's the best thing to use has bedding in my coop? It seems like every time I put something in the coop the kick it to the nesting boxes. Also, do anybody put any sort of bedding in the run? Whats the best thing to clean with?

Pics of inside your coop would show us why they are kicking bedding into the nests,
might need to modify your nests.

Bedding Blurb from my notes:
What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[kychick15]

Pics of inside your coop would show us why they are kicking bedding into the nests,
might need to modify your nests.

Bedding Blurb from my notes:
What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

I have put straw mostly in the bottom of my coop and in the nesting boxes. I've also put wood shavings in the coop

 

[CindyinSD]

Any dry, non-toxic carbon (organic) matter in fairly small “chunks” will work fine. It works better if you have something of a mix. Pine straw is a good component. Broad leaves should be broken up and/or mixed liberally with finer stuff or they can become matted. Wheat straw, spoiled (not Moldy or dank) hay, pine shavings, not cedar or other super-aromatic woods as these can irritate your birds’ respiratory systems.

As for adding litter to the run/yard... That’s fine as long as it’s not swampy (as mine has been this year). If it’s become a marsh, be careful what you add to it. You may end up creating the bog of eternal stench if you overdo it and exclude oxygen from the lower layers (don’t ask me how I discovered this ) I have given up on it and moved all my birds out and to higher ground in tractors. Hopefully it’ll dry out before winter returns in a week or two.