Is bedding always necessary?

[gymgem]

The coop that I just finished has a glassboard floor. If I clean it daily, is bedding necessary? I plan to use pine shavings (easily composted) when I won't be able to clean it as regularly, but if I'm not sure if I need to use bedding all the time. I would really appreciate some advice from someone who has also used glassboard or a similar easily cleaned flooring material.

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I don't use any bedding in the coop, way faster to clean and a LOT less material to dispose of.
The only reason I can think of to use bedding in the coop is if it is quite a jump down from nests or roosts, I suppose it is possible jumping down on the bare floor could lead to bumblefoot. I've only been thinking about this the last week because I'm reorganizing in there and I have 2 bantams in the mix now.

On the other hand chickens have been using this coop this way for 20+ years and I've never seen a case of bumblefoot...

If I couldn't or wouldn't clean I'd put two feet of sawdust in there and never worry about it for years. I have deep litter in their play pen and it's always clean and nice in there.

 

[hearts34]

It helps with the odor to have bedding, as long as yo change it regularly. It also gives the chickens good exercise scratching around in it.

Also, you don't have to take dirt up to get all of the litter out. I prefer to use bedding because of the compost value that is gained with using it.

But my dad doesn't believe in it at all, and very seldom cleans his run out. He just lets it go back into the earth. When he needs fertilizer, he'll take a bucket or two off the top. But he is more old school with his garden. A deep earth gardener.

I am totally compost gardening. Never till the soil at all. I just add compost ever so often to the top of my garden spot.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I don't know the design of your coop, but I believe bedding also helps insulate the coop and keep your chickens warmer in the winter, especially their feet if you have a raised coop. The bedding also helps absorb moisture, acting almost like that clumping kitty-litter making the coop floor easier to keep decently clean between major cleanings.

If you have a coop you walk into, that moisture absorbing quality also means that every time you step into the coop you aren't stepping in fresh chicken poo and tracking it out on your shoes.

 

[gymgem]

Thanks so much for your advice. Here is a picture of the coop. The floor is level with the bottom of the middle panel. Those panels can be removed completely providing easy access for cleaning. I just did this with a dustpan and old windshield scraper, and it only took a couple of minutes.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Do you mean a plexiglass floor? That is what I have. Without bedding, it is very slippery which is dangerous for the birds.

 

[gymgem]

Glassboard isn't the same as plexiglass. It is has a texture to it, yet is still easy to clean. It is usually used for shower walls, but many coop manufacturers are now offering a glassboard option for coop floors, usually at an extra cost. I believe that it is fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The girls don't seem to be having any difficulty with their footing on it.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Glassboard isn't the same as plexiglass. It is has a texture to it, yet is still easy to clean.