Best Coop Bedding??

[JacksHomestead]

Please answer which of these 10 types of bedding from your past experience worked the best and why?!?!
Thanks

 

[sunflour]

Sand works for me. I raised mine on sand, even in the brooder. Easy to clean coop and run and dries poops so they don't smell.

Tried shavings and shredded newspaper in the nests and they ate those, so sand is all I use now.

 

[Herdsman01]

I use straw on the coop floor and in the nest boxes. Always have. We do have easy access to straw bales (we bale our own) thats the biggest reason for using it over other bedding types. Half of our coop has concrete flooring so the straw provides a good cushion for the chickens when they jump off the roosts. Its also provides a lot of warmth in the winter. I've never had a problem with it.

 

[JacksHomestead]

This makes sense to use whats readily available! I used shavings fro my quail but some have showed me different things that i need to consider!!

 

[Pixie]

I have a coop inside a barn and the pine shavings along with the deep-litter method are working out great.

I do have a corner of straw use straw in the nesting boxes only.

If the shavings get slightly matted down in one area I put some oats down for the ladies to scratch up (which takes them no time to do at all).

I use a 5 gal bucket with the water nipples for the water source so there is not a lot of moisture added the bedding as well. There is some drippage with use, but I scatter more pine and then some oats and the girls do the rest.

 

[JacksHomestead]

Thanks!! ive been looking at the deep litter method

I have a coop inside a barn and the pine shavings along with the deep-litter method are working out great.

I do have a corner of straw use straw in the nesting boxes only.

If the shavings get slightly matted down in one area I put some oats down for the ladies to scratch up (which takes them no time to do at all).

I use a 5 gal bucket with the water nipples for the water source so there is not a lot of moisture added the bedding as well. There is some drippage with use, but I scatter more pine and then some oats and the girls do the rest.

Thanks!! Ive been looking at the deep litter method as well i understand the process but what is your routine ??

 

[Pixie]

Currently, my routine is to make sure everything is all fluffy and lots of air to dry out the bedding. I put in 12 cu/yards of pine (from Menards they have the best price at $6 for 2cu/yd square) when I moved the girls out of the house in May. I have added one more c/y to it when the weather got more humid.

Since then, I just make sure everything is fluffy and even. They like to take dust baths in the corner area where there is no roost overhead). In the fall I will be taking out probably half of it all and adding 6 more c/y and then fluff for the winter.

The smell is not bad for a chicken coop with 33 birds in it. But then again...lots of ventilation!

 

[loujeany]

welcome. I use 3 different things. I have been using pine shavings in the coop. One bag for 5 bucks fills up my 10x8 coop. It seems to add a lot of cushion for them when they jump off the roost. If you decide on shavings I have found 2 types. I use the flakes because the staff at TSC told me to avoid the other because there was a lot of dust. Others may have different opinions of it but that is what I have learned. I put straw in my run and they love to scratch that looking for treats. Lastly I have an elevated coop and underneath it I dug out a trench of my hard packed clay soil and replaced it with sand. They love to sit in the sand and of course take an occasional dust bath.

 

[JacksHomestead]

(pixie) Interesting! just fluff up,add more, repeat. I see you have some buff's, go check out my other thread when i asked about them if want! thanks.

 

[snow5164]

We have straw on hand , I've added some dirt and sand trying to get into the deep litter rage, but the straw alone is dry, smells good and is soft so I'm not too concerned. I sprinkle DE and sweet wheat in the poop tray and a little food in the straw and the girls turn it over for me!!!