Hay or Pine Shavings

[WheatBread]

What is a better choice to put in the coop, hay or pine shavings? Pro's or cons to either?

 

[topher166]

I like straw cost effective and easy cleanup most people swear by shavings.. But I use the deep litter method so straw, and and pretty much anything I find (leaves, corn husks.. Etc.) are used

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[nannie]

I also use pine chips and deep litter method.

 

[WheatBread]

What is deep litter method? We are building a tractor so the coop is somewhat small, can the deep litter method be used in a tractor?

 

[JanetS]

We have sand in our coop.

 

[topher166]

deep litter method is baswicly just adding more and more bedding to the floor, allwoing you to go longer between cleans etc.
dont think you can do it in a tractor, as the location will keep moving?

 

[Daisy8s]

What is deep litter method? We are building a tractor so the coop is somewhat small, can the deep litter method be used in a tractor?

Not if you have a tractor that moves. The deep litter method is done in stationary coops--you're essentially doing a compost pile in the floor. Add "browns" to compensate for the "green" of the chicken manure. Almost any bedding material can be used but those that are light-weight are best because when the chickens scratch in the bedding light weight materials such as lawn clippings, dried leaves, corn husks, hay and pine chips will flip over easily and bury the fresh manure--greatly reducing the smell and facilitating composting.

You can also add kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peelings (no meat or dairy as it may attract rats) to the bedding. This will encourage the chickens to scratch and thus turn under the fresh manure.

Benefits to deep litter: 1. zero cost if you use your own lawn clippings (you can dry and bag up grass/leaves for use year-round). 2. warm and cushioned floor--provides warmth in winter and makes a soft landing when jumping down from roosts. 3. little effort--clean it out once a year in the spring to put right in the garden or into a pile to compost further before application. 4. great compost!

 

[Daisy8s]

What is a better choice to put in the coop, hay or pine shavings? Pro's or cons to either?

People seem to like either. I'd recommend whichever is cheaper. Whatever is lighter will allow better fluffing/turning under fresh manure by the chickens and thus less smell.

Personally I use my own lawn clippings and leaves--can't beat free! In the fall I spread out the lawn material on a tarp to dry in the sun for a day or two, then bag it up. Seven of those big, black construction-site garbage bags will take me through a full year for a 6x8 coop with about 8 chickens.

 

[jcocojen]

If ur gonna compost straw is better pine shavings don't really contribute anything to the nutritional value of the compost it just adds brown material. But if ur not composting or don't care than shavings work fine.