Doubts about Pine Bedding

[Folly's place]

Straw is a mess with everyone! In small amounts, with other stuff, it's fine, but as the sole bedding, shavings and wood chips are much easier to manage.
Mary

 

[Cindy in PA]

I never had a problem with pine shavings over a couple of decades. The only thing was during a wet winter, I would have trouble keeping it dry. 3-4 years ago, I started using Coop Klean, or Flock Fresh which is chopped straw with PDZ. I love the stuff & it's easier to clean twice a year & doesn't seem to get as damp. Have never used regular straw. The only problem with the chopped straw is the price, LOL. I am old & like the ease of cleaning.

 

[gtaus]

I am old & like the ease of cleaning.

Yes, when I designed my coop and run, first and foremost in my thinking was how I would be able to maintain everything. My run is 6 feet high so I don't have to bend over and my coop is even taller. So I can stand upright in both places. I went with the deep litter method in plans of only cleaning out the coop maybe twice a year, so far that is working good for me. I only have to refill my feeder and waterer about once every 10 days. All that makes for a more pleasant experience for me.

Last year I met a woman who had a few chickens, but her run was only 4 feet high so she had to bend over all the time. Her coop was too small to walk into so she had to use implements to extend her reach for cleaning, etc.... She told me that it was a mistake and she was planning on redoing everything so she could stand upright in her coop and run. But she was younger than me and really did not think about those things before she got her chickens.