Good materials for chicken coops??

[safarichick101]

The inside part. I use straw but it always gets in the waterers and seems to have a lot of nasties in it. Should I switch to something better?

 

[Tala]

I really like pine pellets - they are sold as horse stall bedding. $6.50ish for 40# When they get wet they fluff up and turn into pine sawdust - which smells like pine.

Some people like pine shavings, and they are OK I used them for a while. I like the pellets better, and the resulting sawdust from when they get wet.

 

[wing it]

i use pine shavings and straw, might give the pellets a try

 

[organicfoltzfamilyfarm]

I'm assuming the water is off of the ground right? I know I know stupid question!

 

[aussieheelr]

I use pine shavings I get from the CoOp $5 a "bale"... pet stores sell it too but for twice the price.

as for keeping the floor cover out of the waterer, I had mine sitting on top of a couple small flower pots. Now we have it sitting on top of a metal feed pan DH converted into a waterer warmer. Since it sits about 4 inches off the floor they reach it just fine but don't toss in the shavings like they use to when they scratch.
If you hang your feeder it helps this too

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I use pine shavings too. As for the waterers. I put mine on a few bricks to elevate it low enough they can reach, high enough they don't muck it up.

 

[gsim]

I use grass clippings for a large coop. Free and smells good too. Linoleum-covered poop boards insure that I only will have to change out litter once a year to boot. And did I say, they are free!

I feed mine inside and water them outside, but the water does not freeze that often in E Tenn either. If I was up north, I would water them inside.