coop bedding question

[chickenmomma6]

so in my small coop I'm currently using pine bedding and my girls seem to not mind it at all and neither do i. it's easy clean up, doesn't smell horrible, no bugs or mold. when I get them into my barn (their new coop) should I continue to use pine or should I switch to something like sand or chopped straw?

also I have old tires I wanna use as dust baths, what should I fill them with?

 

[Aapomp831]

Use coarse construction sand. Doubles as grit, you can use the same sand in the dust baths, and it is sooo easy to clean up poop. All you need is a kitty litter scoop, and you never have to worry about moisture build up. It’s also way less maintenance bc as long as you have at least a 4 inch layer of sand, you won’t have to change it but once a year. Trust me... it’s life changing.
As far as the tires, I don’t know. We use an industrial paint tray propped up on two bricks. We drilled a hole in the middle for drainage.

 

[chickenmomma6]

Use coarse construction sand. Doubles as grit, you can use the same sand in the dust baths, and it is sooo easy to clean up poop. All you need is a kitty litter scoop, and you never have to worry about moisture build up. It’s also way less maintenance bc as long as you have at least a 4 inch layer of sand, you won’t have to change it but once a year. Trust me... it’s life changing.
As far as the tires, I don’t know. We use an industrial paint tray propped up on two bricks. We drilled a hole in the middle for drainage.

where would I get that sand at

 

[Aapomp831]

where would I get that sand at

Lowe’s, Home Depot... places like that. Some people call their local quarry and have it delivered in truck loads.

 

[jreardon1918]

I am a pine shavings user. Like you, no smell, no mess. Scoop the pop boards twice a week. The coop will get a semi annual shavings clean out next month. Easy.

 

[Aapomp831]

I am a pine shavings user. Like you, no smell, no mess. Scoop the pop boards twice a week. The coop will get a semi annual shavings clean out next month. Easy.

Pine shavings work, but you waste a lot trying to clean out the coop and you have to replace them frequently. Not to mention they stick to everything and end up all over the house... they were literally the most annoying thing ever. It’s more expensive in the long run than the sand.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Natural, coarse river sand

• Farmgirl1878
• Jul 15, 2018

I’d recommend natural, coarse river sand instead of the construction sand. The natural sand is a lot less dusty and has a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The construction sand is just crushed rock and is extremely dusty. You can buy it by the truckload from your local quarry and have it delivered. I use it in the coop - on the floor, in the nest boxes, and on the poop boards, as well as in the run. The girls love to dust bathe in it and eat the grit. Just a kitty litter scoop or a long-handles wire wok scoop (if you don’t like to bend over) works like a charm.

 

[blackdog043]

@chickenmomma6 Ever hear the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". You like what your using, right?

I have a poop board with PDZ that I scoop every day and use shavings sprinkled with PDZ in my coop. I haven't removed or replaced any in 15 months(deep bedding), I have added some when they need refreshing though. I have a door mat outside that I rub my shoes on and take my coop shoes off, before I walk in the house. This keeps chicken poop and shavings where it belongs. I wouldn't want to scoop my 8 x 12 coop every day with a kitty litter scoop. My coop doesn't smell bad, with my method.

 

[WthrLady]

Also a PDZ user in my 8x12 coop. In the run, I deep liter and use those hardwood stall pellets that turn into fluff when dampened. THEY LOVE the stuff! In the coop with the pdz I use a wave stall fork, the narrow tine one.

 

[IBB]

What is PDZ please