Coop & Run bedding?

[MEMama3]

haha zen garden I like that. It turns out one of my cousins from Maine has chickens as well. They use pine shavings...

I did pine for awhile, but the girls fling them everywhere and it totally messed with my ocd. I now have sand in coop and run, and hay in nest boxes. When the leaves fall this autumn, they will go in the run and coop as mulch so no birdie feet freeze to the cold sand.

 

[handsomecock]

For coop I put linoleum down, didn't bother gluing it, use pine shavings with a 3:1 shredded junk mail ratio roughly. Use a plastic lawn rake and throw pieces of bread once a week for the hens to keep it from getting matted down. Cleaning out with plastic rake/broom is simple

cheap, easy to clean, lasts a long time, happy hens, happy owner

my experience is you can find cheap vinyl at big box stores for nearly nothing, ask them if they have any large scraps etc. I did get the thicker kind cause I knew I'd be walking/raking over it

Good stuff thx

 

[handsomecock]

haha zen garden I like that. It turns out one of my cousins from Maine has chickens as well. They use pine shavings...

I did pine for awhile, but the girls fling them everywhere and it totally messed with my ocd. I now have sand in coop and run, and hay in nest boxes. When the leaves fall this autumn, they will go in the run and coop as mulch so no birdie feet freeze to the cold sand.

Is the hay better in the nesting boxes? Ive heard if moisture gets in there its no bueno. Would the chickens like it better than the pine?

 

[MEMama3]

Is the hay better in the nesting boxes? Ive heard if moisture gets in there its no bueno. Would the chickens like it better than the pine?

I found that with pine, after one girl was finished laying nearly all the bedding would be in the corners of the box or on the floor. That meant the next girls were laying right on the wood. They don't seem to be so messy with the hay. Hay CAN mold if it gets wet. I change it maybe every other week and I've never had a problem. I did enforce a no sleeping in the nest box policy, so I'm sure that helped. I think hay in the coop and run are where you get problems.

 

[handsomecock]

I found that with pine, after one girl was finished laying nearly all the bedding would be in the corners of the box or on the floor. That meant the next girls were laying right on the wood. They don't seem to be so messy with the hay. Hay CAN mold if it gets wet. I change it maybe every other week and I've never had a problem. I did enforce a no sleeping in the nest box policy, so I'm sure that helped. I think hay in the coop and run are where you get problems.

Okay, so how do you enforce that policy? close it off? lol

 

[MEMama3]

Okay, so how do you enforce that policy? close it off? lol

I had is closed off until the first round started laying. Once it was open, I unceremoniously booted anyone caught sleeping in there at night. After a week or so they got the clue.

 

[TashaLuv]

I read don't use cedar guess can make hens sick but we used a lil in there coop to help w bugs & use it up & use straw in there run it was fun to watch them play in it & spread it out..

 

[handsomecock]

I had is closed off until the first round started laying. Once it was open, I unceremoniously booted anyone caught sleeping in there at night. After a week or so they got the clue.

ah clever chickens...

 

[handsomecock]

I read don't use cedar guess can make hens sick but we used a lil in there coop to help w bugs & use it up & use straw in there run it was fun to watch them play in it & spread it out..

gotcha

 

[handsomecock]

Hey ya'll I just came across a brand for pine shavings, just felt like sharing!

http://www.awf.com/american_wood_fibers_best_bedding.htm

Thoughts and comments are welcome.