Best litter and cleaning method for newbie

[CWA131419]

I wouldn’t use straw as it’s super expensive and when the get bigger it will need to be cleaned a lot. I use pine shavings. I have also seen people use crappy hay or even leaves that fall from trees in the fall. There is a powder you can buy to help with the smell.

 

[aart]

You're probably going to find that coop insufficient once they grow up.

Ditto Dat^^^


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.