Chickens seem not to like new bedding

[Keliana]

This one was laying down an scratching in it

 

[Keliana]

This one was just plain curious about the phone lol

 

[aart]

Yes I will. I'm just trying to find a method that will keep in they house smelling fresh, with no mites since I have a plywood flooring in there , and that would also be something they enjoy scratching in.

Not sure why/how stone would keep odors down.
Sweet PDZ(the mineral zeolite) actually absorbs ammonia and might be better bet.

Curious ......
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[Keliana]

We use pea gravel on coop floors and nothing in nest box. I have separate nest boxes we use straw in hanging on the wall. My quail cages are in same coop and they prefer to sleep under their cages lol.

The pic is hard to tell but I sure hope that is not contractor sand. You may get some impacted crops.

They nesting boxes are not in their chicken house and I use a different bedding for the boxes, no rock . I made sure it was finely crush natural rock I brought by asking numerous times. It is not contractor sand. Thanks for the concern

 

[blackdog043]

Do you have a picture of your coop/ set up?

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

If you want to reduce odors I’d recommend sprinkling some zeolite on the floor and then shavings.

For mite prevention, you can spray down the coop or dust it as well as the birds.

I’ve also heard great things about first Saturday lime for keeping mites at bay.

 

[Cryss]

Pictures would be great. Not only helpful in understanding your descriptions but we LOVE pictures of coops and chickens and chicks and....

 

[marina hernandez]

Same hapen with my chickens, this past saturday, I decide to change the organic soil in the run for construction sand, when they enter the coop, they scream and jump to the ladder, on go inside the coop, it took one day to explore and feel the sand, now they enjoy a lot , and look like they take more often their dust bath .

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

I changed from using pine shavings in coop & nesting boxes to multi-purpose sand in the coop and nesting boxes. Clean up is so much easier, takes less time to scoop. Of course I scoop it every day.
Pine shavings got my allergies in a big uproar, so went to sand. Loving the sand method.

Edit: Forgot to say, the 1 hen and 6 pullers love the sand floor. Took to it right away, no hesitations. First thing they did was a dust bath.

 

[ChickenCurt]

Today I decided to use fine grinded natural rock as the first layer in the chicken house, then I laid a semi thick spread of wood shavings over it.
When it was time for the chickens to go in their house, some of them won't go in. They seem to be afraid of the natural rock. I lift them up and put them in and they seem to be ok.?

Does anyone know why they would be afraid or hesitant to go in.
Is the bedding I just mention ok for chicken layers?

I can only speak for my chickens, but it's probably something they don't like. The best media for them is chopped straw. Which I add to mine everyday so that it stays fluffy and absorbent. And depending on how many chickens you have you can clean this out monthly or yearly and when you are done it makes the perfect compost to add to a garden having a perfect balance if it isn't staying fluffy there is either too much of it and it's packing down or too many chickens it is getting slimy.
Many have success with other types of media but I prefer the media that has multiple uses.
Have fun with your chickens