leaves for bedding?

[ND Sue]

How about straw? In my area, a straw bale is around 2 dollars and a bale will go a long way! So for 10 bucks, I bet you could keep your coop bedded down for quite a few weeks... Depending on the size of your coop, that is.

 

[horsejody]

I have used straw in the past because it was free and readily available, but it doesn't seem to absorb a lot of moisture. The air in the coop always seemed damp. I like the pine shavings better.

 

[mstricer]

I'm using my leaves this year I put de pine shavings more de straw more de then leaves they love it give them alittle scratch and they are happy chicks with the crunchy leaves.

 

[Booswalia]

I'm using leaves in the run right now. Both in the covered part and in the uncovered part. The uncovered part is getting a little messy but it's been wonderful stuff to use in the covered part of the pen. (There's a gate between them)
I would not use it in the coop unless the leaves are very dry. You might want to run a lawn mower over them a few times to break them up, if you do decide to try them in the coop.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I suppose the kind of leaves may affect how well they work. For many years I used whatever was on the ground outside in my runs and coops. I'd rake up pine straw, oak leaves, sweet gum leaves, whatever there was and throw it in. About six inches deep. If it started to get soggy or matted I'd throw scratch feed on top and encourage them to keep it scratched up and fluffy. When the first lot of leaves began to break down and thin out I'd throw another six inches in.

Once in a great while we'd get a really blowy storm come through that would soak everything inside. Then I'd go in with a ptich fork and turn it myself to fluff it up. It usually dried out fairly fast.

.....Alan.

 

[Wifezilla]

I would not use it in the coop unless the leaves are very dry. You might want to run a lawn mower over them a few times to break them up

This will keep them from getting all matted and moldy. I invested in one of those mulching leaf vacs last year. One of the best splurges I ever made.​

 

[Rennie]

For the months i have had my girls i have always used straw or hay with a few shavings on them .. its cheap and my whole point of having these is to save money

Im that bad i even shape the nests for them

..Never had any problems and get consistent eggs ...why change something that isnt a problem ?.. i do put grass in too but they eat all that ?

 

[DTchickens]

yup, all the time. Usually i move the pens onto fresh grass but if i need to use bedding then i will grab some hay or leaves, same thing i use for nests.. Have seen people use Saw dust too, if it works it works i guess.

 

[blurose]

Got a paper shredder? Try running a few newspapers through it for your nest boxes. Most all newspapers are printed with veg, nontoxic inks now. When I was working as a medical transcriptionist I always had plenty of papers from my computer needing to be shredded...I just lined my nest boxes with it one time for kicks and it worked pretty darn well, so i also littered the henhouse floor with it. It didn't cost me anymore money or time, as I had to shredd the stuff anyways due to medical privacy laws, AND it helped out the local landfill.

 

[Bleenie]

I try to scrape up $5 for straw when i'm broke & need bedding for the coop. 1 bale lasts forever it seems like!

a lot of mills will give sawdust away for free. sometimes they have bigger (less powdery) stuff.