Best kind of bedding for chickens?

[Molliep2]

What's the best kind of bedding to have in the coop? Thank you!

 

[A.M. Eggs]

It really depends on the person and how much they want to spend. I use pine shavings in my coop. A friend of mine uses straw.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Gotta find what works for you and your flock! I'd suggest whatever is local, cheap, and works with you're gardening plans.

We also use only pine shavings. But we use straw in the run. The chickens seem to eat both regularly, which is annoying.

If you're really into gardening, definitely look up deep litter method (DLM), which works best (but not exclusively on a dirt-floored coop). Maybe that will work for you?

If it doesn't the common options are straw, wood shavings, hay, or shredded leaves. Coir might be a good choice if you're in a place that grows a lot of coconuts?

 

[Rosypetals]

I use pine medium shred-it soaks up smell, other “messes”, and it’s cheap!

 

[aggiemae]

I use pine shavings in the nests and about an inch of Stall Dry on the coop floor. I use a metal cat litter scoop to clean it up and dump it right into the compost barrel next to the coop. It takes just a few minutes if I do it every day. My co-op floor (5x8 ish) is at waist height.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I've used pine, straw and hay. Sometimes alternately. In the coop itself, I use what ever's cheap as it gets cleaned out every couple of weeks anyway, along with the part of my run that's on concrete. The part that's dirt we alternate so that it breaks down nicely.

 

[aart]

Depends on how you want to 'manage your manure'.
Gotta look at the 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.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials.

-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.