Can I use straw in my coop?

[banananutmuffin]

My coop isn't deep enough (the pop door is too close to the floor) for the deep litter method, I think. It's a 3x4 coop and I'm housing 3 standard birds. Straw is readily available to me and free. If I use a layer of that on the coop floor, how do I go about cleaning it? Would I just have to muck the whole thing out? And if so, how often?

 

[annie3001]

i hated straw in my coops. its messy and clean up is a pain. i only use straw in the nesting boxes. i would recommend using pine chips or something else.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I would say yes, muck it out - straw gets real wet, real fast

 

[Judy]

Straw is fine. They will stomp it down. I'd use it too if it were free. Makes great nesting material too; mine kick out pine shavings but not straw.

Nothing is perfect. It's easy for mites/lice to hide in the hollow places. Just sprinkle some poultry dust around now and then. Probably removing it all is the simplest way to clean as it's not easy to pick poop out of.

Whatever works for you!

 

[aggie9296]

if you got it, use it. clean out wet spots or the whole batch as needed. IF it stinks, it needs cleaning. Can take the straw/poop and start a NICE compost pile. but if the chickens free range, they will spread it out and will not compost well unless it is blocked off.