coop bedding- what do you prefer??

[rmurrayslcut]

I use pine shavings in the nesting area, which is contained in the coop. I clean it every day and it soaks up urine and is easy to clean.

They have sand mixed with pea gravel in the run below. It works great and allows them to dust bathe. Pine shavings are great to cover any wood area in the coop (like nesting boxes). I haven't found anything better.

 

[Oscarsgravett]

I also think ventilation is a key factor that needs to be taken into account I live in Sussex in the UK nice to meet you Your coop sounds very well planned and you have taken everything into perspective about the coop . well done . My computer won't let me see your pics though :-(

 

[vehve]

We use a mix of peat moss and pine shavings. Really keeps the odors at bay, but the dust can be an issue. Our girls just use the coop for sleeping though, so they don't stir it up that much. Mainly they just poop on it from the roosts. In the run we have sand and I throw in grass clippings. The bedding together with the dried grass clippings, poo and any kitchen and garden waste makes for wonderful compost.

 

[eggsackly]

I have a suggestion for the fly problem. You need to hang some fly traps. These can be found at Walmart or feed stores and contain a bait that draws the flies in and they can't escape. You just fill them with water and hang them up. There's also the sticky tape that you hang up and flies get stuck and can't get off. They will cut down tremendously on the fly population. If you don't fight the flies now, you will be overrun with them later. And I use hay in my chicken pen and nests.

 

[eggsackly]

I live in a very sandy area of N. E. Texas and the sand has never had a negative effect on my chickens. Thank goodness, because the only way I could eliminate the sand would be to move.

 

[Redtractorranch]

I use rice hulls. They stay fluffy and easy to sift through even if they get wet but without some of the dust problems of peat moss. (I uses a 50/50 mix of rice hulls and peat moss in my horse stalls, though)

 

[eggsackly]

I would be very cautious about using sand. There is a good article on the harmful effects of sand on a chicken's health at http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/07/the-real-scoop-on-using-sand-in-your.html Instead I use a fine pea gravel on my runs and coop floors.

I live in a very sandy area of N. E. Texas and the sand has never had a negative effect on my chickens. Thank goodness, because the only way I could eliminate the sand would be to move.

 

[kaebee]

My first go around was pine shavings then added straw for winter warmth. Dusty, dusty, dusty. I totally cleaned the coop out and put in some retaining 2x6s and a tarp and filled it with a 1/2 inch layer of sweet PDZ then topped it with stall pine pellets. I scoop the poop almost daily and if there's a very wet poop, the pellets turn to sawdust and I scoop that too. I haven't added anything yet and it's been over a month. I'll top it off with another bag of pellets ($5) soon. My plan was to let most of the pellet level go down by winter and change back to shavings but I'm really liking the pellets. Smells nice, looks clean, less dusty. I'm going to clip the tarp to the wood so it doesn't hang over like in the picture.

 

[gardengirl01]

I've tried sand and if it gets wet, its a horrible mess. And the sand get cold. With chicks, I use shavings and with adult layers, straw.

 

[Janet Pesaturo]

Shavings here. They're not perfect, but they do the job. Litter stays dry, and with a thick enough layer, it's a nice soft landing when hens dismount roost or exit nest boxes. That's good for foot and leg health. The only complaint I have is that the shavings decompose too slowly in my compost. Pellets would be better in that regard, but they're too expensive here for a layer as thick as I like it.