How many bags of pine shavings for a 12X16 coop?

[RooptyDoo]

Just was wondering how many bags of pine shavings I would need to cover the floor. Tractor supply sells it for $5.49. Is that a good price? It says that it will cover 5 cubic feet but I want the coop floor to have a pretty good layer of shavings.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Alot! I have a 12x14 (or 15 I can't remember LOL) coop, and I've used 7 bags so far I believe.

 

[joanc]

We have a 12 x 20 coop and use 10 bags. That makes it about 3-4 inches deep.

Hope this helps some. Good luck.

 

[dbcooper02]

Based on 5 cubic foot bags, the math says 19 bags would give you about 6" over the entire floor, or 13 bags would give you about 4".
db

 

[gumpsgirl]

My coop is a 12x8 and I use 3 bags of shavings to get the shavings 3" - 4" deep.

 

[silkiechicken]

I guess it comes down to how many expanded feet each bag is. From what I've gathered over the past few days of looking, a "big bag" is anywhere from 5 cubic feet expanded to 10+ depending on the source, since I thought my 4cubic foot compressed bags were huge when I found them, but that in some areas, they come even bigger!

 

[elaucht]

I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of a bag for my coup 8x10 just enough to cover the floor . I like to cleen it out every 7-10 days otherwise it smells too bad I also put sand on the floor first to keep the poo from sticking, hope that this helps.

 

[estpr13]

I start off with only a few inches and add to it as needed. I don't put very much at all around my water and feeder as they tend to kick it into them.

This year I put a bale of straw into the big coop (13 x 7 ) on top of about 3 inches of pine shavings just to see how it would work with the older chickens. It tends to move around a lot especially if I scatter scratch in it. They also like to wallow in the straw more than the pine.

 

[willheveland]

I think 2 bags to start should be plenty.My small coop is 8x8 and I start with one compressed bag.I put down some lime on the floor first,then add a bag of shavings.Then add some as you need it I don't start with 4"-6" of shavings on the floor.But at the end of winter I may have that.I have under my roost closed off with wire,so they can't pick through their waste.Most of their pooing is done at the roost.I just cover it with a dusting of lime and shavings,letting it build up.It may be 12-14" higher than the level of the floor but still no smell if it is dry.At the end of winter I shovel it all out and use the coop for brooding my new seasons chicks.The lime I put down on the floor helps clean up easier.Same idea as the other poster using sand.
In my opinon you want to build your litter up over time,the number of chickens you have will affect the amount you need.You want your litter to be dry all the time. Will