Floor Covering?

[chickenkate]

I know someone who uses hay as her floor covering... but most people seem to recommend wood shavings or cat litter; is there a difference?

 

[Anny]

I use pine shavings cus they are cheap, and easy to find in stores. Hay is a little harder for me to find around here, and hay kind of mattes together.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

I definitely wouldn't use cat litter. It's clay and the chickens may peck at it. If they groom themselves, or clean between their feet, they'll ingest it.
Not good.

I use pine shavings and am very happy with the stuff.

Carla

 

[meezermom]

I've found hay more expensive & harder to clean & handle.
I use pine shavings & the deep litter method. Works great & composts REALLY well !!!
Hay will mold also, and that may kill or sicken your hens.

 

[patandchickens]

The usual alternative to shavings is STRAW rather than hay. (I know a few people use hay, of course, but straw is far more common). It is cheaper and less apt to get eaten and cause impacted crop problems. It is also slightly absorbant, as opposed to hay being nearly nonabsorbant. Supposedly chopped straw works better and has less of the cleaning awkwardness of regular straw, I have no personal experience with it though.

I would really not use cat litter. Unless you mean the wood-pellet type 'alternative' cat litter. In which case I still would not use it because, man oh man, SPENDY

Shavings in big bales from the feed store (will still fit easily into any car) are usually cheaper than little plastic bags of shavings from the pet store, btw.

Have fun,

Pat