Best bedding for Chicken house?

[3eyondblessed]

Hi all, I am curious to what bedding I should use for my Chicken house. Thank you!

 

[Farmer13]

For as long as I can remember Farmers used good clean bedding straw.
You can buy it direct from farmers in your area if you ask around, for better prices.

 

[tlcmurphy]

I like the hemp bedding, but it’s more expensive

 

[21hens-incharge]

The most readily available tends to be pine shavings.

 

[Tookie]

I use pine shavings, I've been using them for 8.5 years and never have had a problem with them.

 

[aart]

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.
- Large flake 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 10 years.

 

[3eyondblessed]

thank you all!

 

[chickenlover8969]

I have the deep litter method going on. So I use pine shavings/fine pine shavings. the fine pine shavings compost easier but either one works. Without the deep litter method. Are you planning on using the deep litter method.

 

[saysfaa]

I like a mix of mostly maple leaves and lawn clippings on the main floor.

For the nests, I like dried grass from what is essentially lawn grass that grew long - technically, it is grass hay but very fine grass.

And a mix of pdz, sand, and sawdust for the poop board under the roost.

There is quite a lot of other things in small quantities, especially on the main floor. I think that is beneficial.

Edit to add, all of the areas are bedded deep and are dry - technically, the surface of the main section gets wet on top from the open side and windows when it rains. It doesn't get wet very deep or for very long or very far from the openings.

 

[teesngln]

I haven't had chickens very long but have tried regular old straw and hemp bedding so far.. the hemp bedding is more expensive but has significantly better odour and moisture control in comparison. I only have a small coop so I'm fine with the added cost.