Coop floor/bedding?

[Trixe123]

We are in the process of finishing our very first coop. We have 3 RIR and 3 barred rocks. The run is finished, but we are unsure of the coop floor. We currently have a wood floor with linoleum on top. My question is, do I have to put anything on top of the linoleum? I will be putting pine shavings in the nesting boxes but wasn't sure if I could leave the floor bare or not.

 

[Kdlevesque]

We use pine shavings on our coop floor and we also have linoleum down...we had it left over when we had our kitchen redone. The pine shavings keep things nice and tidy and make it much easier to clean and you would never guess how old it is. I am OCD about keeping my coop clean...ha ha! Our girls are 3 1/2 years old and knock on wood, very healthy. I think anything that keeps things clean is good for healthy birds. We use straw in the run and always have even though some might be against it. My girls love it when we put fresh straw down so they can dig around in it.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I would definitely put some type of bedding on the linoleum. Otherwise its going to just sit there, stink, and attract flies. Also cleanup is allot easier as you just use a shovel or pitch fork to pick it up a few times a year. If there's no bedding, good luck picking up the slimy wet mounds of chicken poop!

I found Wheat straw to work best for me, and a bail of it is very inexpensive. Rice straw and pine shavings are also popular options. Cedar shavings are not recommended as they can cause respiratory issues. Another option I have seen lately are compressed wood pellet bedding.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Pine shavings over the linoleum would be great. I like to use the deep litter method with my shavings. Adding some PDZ helps keep the coop fresh

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Just for those of us that don't know, but what is PDZ?

 

[oldwynooche]

I heard Aspen shavings are better than Pine shavings. Opinions?

 

[Trixe123]

Thanks for all the feedback! Does it matter how deep the shavings or straw is or does it just need to cover the floor?

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I like pine shavings (no opinion on Aspen shavings) for small areas, such as a brooder box, etc. But for anything bigger, in my experience wheat straw is the best. It will have some left over seed pods which triggers the hens to scratch around in it. The hens turning it over keeps it much cleaner and fresh smelling.

Works out great, the hens get something to do, and it helps me keeping it clean! That's a win win situation for us

 

[trumpeting_angel]

PDZ is zeolite. It’s sold as “stall freshener” for horses, and it’s safe for chickens. It neutralizes the ammonia.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I start with enough to keep the floor covered, then add some every few days till it builds up a bit. Then I just add some as needed to keep it fresh. Each time you add some, the hens get to work scratching, turning, and mixing. How long you let it go is completely up to you.

I hear some people only empty it out once or twice a year. I do it much more often than that as I am a bit OCD. Just start it out and change it when you see fit. Allot will depend on you, your chickens, and your weather.