coop bedding- what do you prefer??

[arrienwilliams]

Pillows!! Haha my chickens loooove to sleep on old pillows, blankets, towels, or even old t shirts! I used to have a combination of pine shavings and pillows but now I switched to just pillows. It's practical for my chickens because they only sleep in their cage, the food and water is elsewhere and they are free range during the day. I just shake the bedding out every couple days and when they get really gross just toss em!

 

[6of6chicks]

I use pine shavings. They are readily available at just about every farm supply and feed store, and the price isn't bad. They give off a nice fragrance of fresh pine and all in all look good. Hay is my second choice, as it is a good insulator and heat absorber in the winter months, however I use hay in the nesting boxes, so I try not to put it on the floor all the time so the girls don't get the wrong idea. I would not leave a coop floor as dirt for parasitic reasons, as well as the compaction and "caking" that will result from chicken waste constantly being walked on on a dirt floor. There isn't really a way to clean dirt. Another idea (which I often imply in my enclosed run) that is a money saver is grass clippings. Although this only works during the spring/summer, it provides a nice base layer and doesn't cost a thing. I put fresh grass clippings into the run right after I cut my backyard. The birds love digging around and finding bugs or other treats that have been chopped up like dandelions and weeds. Fallen leaves are also an idea for the fall, however leaves aren't available in all climates (but there are an abundance here in the Northeast!!). There isn't really a wrong flooring, and you can switch things up as you wish, but all the things listed above are the main things I use.

I'm really confused about this!! I have an acre of "all natural" lawn. What that really means is an acre of yard that pretty much does what it wants because the only thing I ever do is mow it. No pesticides, no fertilizer, no water. Good thing I live in a rural area - not too sure my bumper crop of weeds would go over well in suburbia.

Anyway - I would love to be able to dump clippings in the run, but I keep reading back & forth advice on this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/506101/can-you-use-grass-clippings-on-the-coop-floor/10
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/560206/using-grass-clippings-as-bedding

So are grass clippings okay to use in the run? Should I do multiple passes with the mower (lowering the setting each time) to get short clippings? Dry it out on the driveway first or chuck it in there straight from the bag? What's the right way? Or is it a bad idea altogether and I shouldn't do it??

Plus, I have a dirt run (and LOVE it). My only issue is that their feet stay dirty, and I'm thinking maybe grass will help with that? If I CAN put grass clippings in there, how long will they last? (6 chickens in an 8 x 8 run). A week? Longer? Then do I just rake it up and toss it in the compost?

This newbie would really like some advice because I'm so confused!!

 

[vehve]

I'm really confused about this!! I have an acre of "all natural" lawn. What that really means is an acre of yard that pretty much does what it wants because the only thing I ever do is mow it. No pesticides, no fertilizer, no water. Good thing I live in a rural area - not too sure my bumper crop of weeds would go over well in suburbia.

Anyway - I would love to be able to dump clippings in the run, but I keep reading back & forth advice on this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/506101/can-you-use-grass-clippings-on-the-coop-floor/10
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/560206/using-grass-clippings-as-bedding

So are grass clippings okay to use in the run? Should I do multiple passes with the mower (lowering the setting each time) to get short clippings? Dry it out on the driveway first or chuck it in there straight from the bag? What's the right way? Or is it a bad idea altogether and I shouldn't do it??

Plus, I have a dirt run (and LOVE it). My only issue is that their feet stay dirty, and I'm thinking maybe grass will help with that? If I CAN put grass clippings in there, how long will they last? (6 chickens in an 8 x 8 run). A week? Longer? Then do I just rake it up and toss it in the compost?

This newbie would really like some advice because I'm so confused!!

We've been throwing grass clippings in there, and they love it. Once it's dry or looks a bit iffy, I rake it up and throw it in the compost. Gives a nice balance to the spent bedding, you get a bit more nitrogen from the grass and the composting process is improved. We haven't had any issues with it so far, but as this is our first year of chickeneering, I can't say I speak from much experience. Try it, if you get issues with it, stop. If everyone followed everyone's rules of chicken keeping, you couldn't keep them at all. Trial and error is a pretty good way to learn what suits your flock, as long as you use some common sense.

 

[6of6chicks]

We've been throwing grass clippings in there, and they love it. Once it's dry or looks a bit iffy, I rake it up and throw it in the compost. Gives a nice balance to the spent bedding, you get a bit more nitrogen from the grass and the composting process is improved. We haven't had any issues with it so far, but as this is our first year of chickeneering, I can't say I speak from much experience. Try it, if you get issues with it, stop. If everyone followed everyone's rules of chicken keeping, you couldn't keep them at all. Trial and error is a pretty good way to learn what suits your flock, as long as you use some common sense.

I appreciate that, I really do. I'm just hesitant to try the grass clippings because some have said it's a health hazard. If the only risk was a stinky, slimy mess - well, not fun, but worth the risk of trying it. But I will be devastated if I try something on a whim and my chickens end up dead. That's why I'm reading everything I can and asking before trying. I am completely new at this, and I do mean NEW - to chickens & birds in general. I'm probably coming across as a complete idiot, but everyone has to start somewhere, and I'd rather ask and look stupid (and annoy others on the forum, sorry) than lose a chicken. They're just so freakin' cute and I've gotten really attached!

So you put the grass straight in there? How much - just a thin layer or several inches? Thanks for your help!

 

[subhanalah]

I appreciate that, I really do. I'm just hesitant to try the grass clippings because some have said it's a health hazard. If the only risk was a stinky, slimy mess - well, not fun, but worth the risk of trying it. But I will be devastated if I try something on a whim and my chickens end up dead. That's why I'm reading everything I can and asking before trying. I am completely new at this, and I do mean NEW - to chickens & birds in general. I'm probably coming across as a complete idiot, but everyone has to start somewhere, and I'd rather ask and look stupid (and annoy others on the forum, sorry) than lose a chicken. They're just so freakin' cute and I've gotten really attached!

So you put the grass straight in there? How much - just a thin layer or several inches? Thanks for your help!

let the grass dry in a thin layer to prevent molding before adding it to your run.

 

[vehve]

let the grass dry in a thin layer to prevent molding before adding it to your run.

I just dump it in there in a pile and throw some feed in there, they scatter it around. Although I have a covered run, and the bottom is well drained so the grass dries up in a few days even in rainy weather. I usually get about 5-10 gallons of the stuff. I do however use one of those silly push operated mowers and just rake up the stuff, a motorized mower with a collection bag might pack it more densely, it's been years since I've last used one so I don't remember anymore.

 

[Meow618]

I use sand and highly recommend it! If you have free range chickens like I do, they aren't in it that long. If you don't have free range, it might be a different story. I use a cat liter scoop to clean my 8' x 8' coop. It takes me about 5 minutes to clean the coop. LOVE SAND!

 

[Twinklin]

I'm another construction sand user. Have used it for over a year and love it. I use it in the coop and run. I'm in a very hot and dry part of the country. In the summer it stays nice and cool because we have it shaded. It's very easy to mix a little DE in and I've never had an issue with mites with it. I love that I can scoop it like a cat litter box with a make shift pooper scooper.

 

[Egg Thief]

Actully i have had BOs for a year and have used straw but then i mixed the wood shavings preferably hamster for NB and they love it

 

[Our Roost]

I guess I would have to ask what the foundation of your coop flooring is before I join the argument. Do you have a dirt floor, wood floor, Plastic, or possibly cement? I started with a nature provided earth floor. A lot of natural sand mixed in with the dirt. We layered it with straw after some reading up on the deep litter method used for winter situations. Trust that when I say the poop and amonia smell built up awful and it all mixed into the soil and sand over time. Come spring, it was a heck of a mess and cleanup to remove about 3 inches of pure disgusting muck had to be removed. Sure, sand and dirt is absorbent. Ask yourself what it is absorbing. Over time, it too has to be tended to. A wood floor or cement in my opinion is most likely the best. Easy to line with straw or pine chips and easier to maintain and dispose of. A bale of either spreads quite a long way inside a small coop and is very comfy and cozy for your chickens. Keep it clean and keep it simple!