Let's Talk About Bedding and Litter

[3KillerBs]

I thought it would be nice to have a thread with a lot of information and opinions collected in one place, especially since so many people are getting chickens for the first time. There's no one best material/system and what one person loves another will hate, but if we talk honestly about the pros and cons of different materials in different systems it ought to be helpful even though it's a foregone conclusion that we won't agree on anything.

So, questions:

1. How many chickens do you have?
2. What sort of climate do you live in? Wet or dry? Hot or cold?
3. What bedding do you prefer in the coop? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?
4. How do you manage your coop bedding? Do you have a poop board? Do you scoop poop? How often do you change the bedding?
5. What litter do you prefer in the run? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?
6. How do you manage your run litter? Is your run covered against rain/snow or open to the weather? Do you scoop poop?
7. If you have more than one coop/run do you manage them differently? Why?
8. Has your system changed over time? Why?
9. Is there something you'd like to change if you could? Why? What is preventing you from changing it?

I'll come back to answer my own questions after I get some household chores done.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

1. How many chickens do you have?

9

1. What sort of climate do you live in? Wet or dry? Hot or cold?

It had been dry for months, now it's a turd floater, but for the most part hot and humid

1. What bedding do you prefer in the coop? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

Large flake pine shavings with some pdz sprinkled throughout. It keeps everything pretty fresh and dry, sometimes I add a bit more and have the ladies mix it for a refresher. The one thing I dislike is when they kick it out into the chicken yard grass (my own fault for leaving the people door open) then I have to rake it up

1. How do you manage your coop bedding? Do you have a poop board? Do you scoop poop? How often do you change the bedding?

I just keep adding and have the ladies mix it, before winter and spring I do a full cleanout of the coop, all the shavings go into the run. I do have poop boards that I scoop everyday, but other than that and the occasional cecal dropped on the ramp I do not scoop any poop on the floor of the coop

1. What litter do you prefer in the run? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

Wood chips, mulch, grass clippings, leaves, shavings, hay, just about anything that I can get my hands on. I try and repurpose everything in some fashion or another for example I use hay in my nest boxes so when I do a refresh all the old hay goes into the run, it works out fine as long as it is accompanied by some wood chips or something else bulky to help break it up so it doesn't pack down

1. How do you manage your run litter? Is your run covered against rain/snow or open to the weather? Do you scoop poop?

My run is not covered yet, but I have a large canopy that deflects the rain for a time, it's a work in progress. I add different materials to the run when it needs it which depends a lot on the weather. I WILL NEVER SCOOP POOP IN MY RUN AGAIN! No thank you, and unnecessary, lol

1. If you have more than one coop/run do you manage them differently? Why?

I have a large attached chicken yard that I maintain grass, clover, spring/winter wheat, alfalfa and a mix of trees and bushes. I water when needed, reseed, and keep it in tip top shape for them to graze in. It is the opposite of the run

1. Has your system changed over time? Why?

Yes, because I kept reading about deep litter @3KillerBs and I was so tired of cleaning poop outta my run

1. Is there something you'd like to change if you could? Why? What is preventing you from changing it?

Eventually the run will be roofed, it's just not at the top of the priority list at our new property. We've still got another deck to build, finish fencing the rest of the property, etc, etc

 

[Iluveggers]

1.How many chickens do you have?
10 pullets

1. What sort of climate do you live in? Wet or dry? Hot or cold?

Cold, snowy winter, warm summer, decent amount of precipitation.

1. What bedding do you prefer in the coop? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

I use pine shavings and will be adding paper shreds when our shredder arrives. It is easily accessible and not expensive.

1. How do you manage your coop bedding? Do you have a poop board? Do you scoop poop? How often do you change the bedding?

I add a few scoops of fresh shavings about once a week or every other week. No poop board, but every morning I go in the coop for about 5 minutes and scoop the poop from under the roost, and I dump those sould shavings into the run to compost down. (Hence why I have to add new shavings a few times a month).

1. What litter do you prefer in the run? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

I just have dirt and pine shavings in the run now. In the fall I will add dry leaves, along with wood chips (when our two bad branches are removed).

1. How do you manage your run litter? Is your run covered against rain/snow or open to the weather? Do you scoop poop?

I add soiled coop shavings daily. Will mix in dry leaves/wood chips in the fall. My run is 100% covered so rain has not caused mud. Will tarp most of the sides to keep snow out in the winter. I do not scoop poop, it gets mixed into the shavings and I don’t smell any smell.

1. If you have more than one coop/run do you manage them differently? Why?

NA

1. Has your system changed over time? Why?

Just started this system with my flock this year.

1. Is there something you'd like to change if you could? Why? What is preventing you from changing it?

I would have liked a poop board, but our friend built the coop for us and everything else is amazing. Scooping poo undet thr roost from the floor isn’t horrible, but I’ll be looking for a long handled scooper/pushing instrument to avoid bending in the future. Scooping daily I haven’t smelled any odor in the coop, only takes 5 minutes, and I haven’t had to remove the whole batch of shavings one time. Just add a few scoops of clean shavings to “fluff” up as needed!

 

[3KillerBs]

How many chickens do you have?

47? I think?

It's a changing mix of adults and chicks of various ages and both sexes. I want to get down under 30 for winter.

What sort of climate do you live in? Wet or dry? Hot or cold?

Hot and Humid.

Winter daytime highs are rarely below freezing and we only see single digits F once every 3-5 years. Some years there's no snow at all, some years we have a couple episodes of a couple inches.

Summer highs are in the mid-upper 90s from June through August -- during that time we consider 90F a cool day. For weeks on end the nighttime lows won't drop below 75.

We have wet years and drought years, wet months and drought months.

What bedding do you prefer in the coop? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

Two of my coops are Open Air style so I'll lump their mangement into the management of my runs.

In the Little Monitor Coop and in the Outdoor Brooder I mainly use large-flake pine shavings. They're readily-available, they are highly absorbent, they don't pack or mat readily, and they're easy to handle. Sometimes I mix in some pine straw to improve the resistance to packing.

Their main disadvantage is that they don't compost quickly, even in this favorable climate.

How do you manage your coop bedding? Do you have a poop board? Do you scoop poop? How often do you change the bedding?

I use the Deep Bedding method as described in this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

I do not have poop boards and don't scoop. The Little Monitor Coop gets cleaned every 8-16 weeks according to need. The brooder is cleaned between batches of chicks or alternate batches of chicks depending on how many chicks I had and how long they stayed in that coop before integration.

What litter do you prefer in the run? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

My 2 open air coops, Neuchickenstein and Camp Cockerel are, in essence, covered runs with shelters on one end so I manage them like runs, using the Deep Litter method.

The foundation for Neuchickenstein is a layer of coarse wood chips from having tree work done with pine straw, straw, and yard waste mixed in.

Camp Cockerel is in my garden and subject to being moved when needed so I don't use the wood chips there. So far straw and yard waste have been sufficient.

The advantage of wood chips is that NOTHING is better for keeping odor down and preventing dampness from becoming a problem -- important because I discovered that Neuchickenstein's roof created a drainage problem and haven't put a gutter on it yet.

The advantage of pine straw is that it's free for the raking all fall and winter -- when it has to be raked up anyway -- and that it always dries out rapidly on top no matter how heavy the rainfall. Seriously -- even after a hurricane the pine straw is dry on top by the second clear day.

The disadvantage of either is that they don't compost as well as other options and that the pine straw is less absorbent.

I use straw from time to time for various reasons, some of which I explored here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/24690969 One advantage is that it composts readily. Another is that I sometimes get it free from the historic site where my DH works after a reenactment. A third advantage is that an intact straw bale or, one with one tie cut, is a terrific boredom buster for chickens that are confined.

Disadvantages are that it is apt to mold/mildew in the bale, pack/mat when used alone as litter, and that it's getting both more expensive and irregular in quality.

The big advantage of yard waste is that it's free. The big disadvantage is that it's in irregular supply.

How do you manage your run litter? Is your run covered against rain/snow or open to the weather? Do you scoop poop?

My run-run is open. Currently I still have grass but when the growing season is over I'll primarily use pine straw. I never scoop poop.

If you have more than one coop/run do you manage them differently? Why?

See above.

The Little Monitor Coop and the brooder have floors. Neuchickenstein and Camp Cockerel do not.

Has your system changed over time? Why?

Yes, I've learned how far I can take the Deep Litter system and I've become more open to experimenting with different materials depending on availability and cost.

I've learned that I prefer to use a mix of materials over just one material because I think that a mix resists packing, matting, and the development of anaerobic pockets better than a single material used alone.

Is there something you'd like to change if you could? Why? What is preventing you from changing it?

I should have designed Neuchickenstein differently to make adding new material at the top of the slope and getting compost out at the bottom easier.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

1. How many chickens do you have?

I have 13 chickens (for now, already planning for more hehe) of mixed bantams and standards.

1. What sort of climate do you live in? Wet or dry? Hot or cold?

My climate is dry. I’m going to say it’s both hot and cold. I live in the high desert mountains so below me is the desert which is really really hot (115-120 during summer) but since I’m high up it’s much cooler than below (80-90 in summer, 50 at night. Average is 40 daytime winter temp and night low can get into the teens). Decent amount of rain in the mountains too.

1. What bedding do you prefer in the coop? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

In the coop I love Carolina coops hemp bedding! I do the deep bedding system in my coop. Advantages are no flies, no smell whatsoever, and I only have to empty it out every 2 years. Then it goes straight into my garden. I really can’t think of any true disadvantages. It’s pricey upfront, $75 for a bale (shipping included) but I only have to use 2 bales for 2 years worth. The chickens stir it for me but I guess if yours don’t then you’d have to turn it weekly, which could be considered a disadvantage.

1. How do you manage your coop bedding? Do you have a poop board? Do you scoop poop? How often do you change the bedding?

I do deep bedding so I only clean every 2 years.

1. What litter do you prefer in the run? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

I prefer all kinds of organic material in the run. I do deep litter in the run. It consists of many things like wood chips, straw, leaves, plant pieces that I chop and drop from the plants and trees in my run, pine needles, and more.

1. How do you manage your run litter? Is your run covered against rain/snow or open to the weather? Do you scoop poop?

Mine is open to the weather, just super strong bird netting on top. I never clean out my run, it just composts into the ground. My run is on a slope and my soil is really sandy so the drainage is really good and no puddles due to the slope so I don’t get mud.

1. If you have more than one coop/run do you manage them differently? Why?

I just have one run and coop.

1. Has your system changed over time? Why?

When I first started keeping chickens I just did the weekly clean out of pine shavings but that got old and the pine shavings made me sneeze a lot even with a mask. I found Carolina coops and watched their videos on deep bedding with hemp and haven’t looked back since. I have always did deep litter in the run because I had a ‘food forest’ first and wanted chickens to live in it at my old house and now I have a new ‘food forest’ for my chickens to live in at my new house.

1. Is there something you'd like to change if you could? Why? What is preventing you from changing it?

As of right now there’s nothing I would change. I love that I have basically zero maintenance with my set up and the chickens and nature do the work for me, and I get fantastic compost from the run and coop.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

1. How many chickens do you have?

19 chickens

1. What sort of climate do you live in? Wet or dry? Hot or cold?

Southern IL we get a bit of everything in 1 single day bahahaha

1. What bedding do you prefer in the coop? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

I've only used pine chips.
It's cheap
Easy to use
natural
Compostable
I just don't like that it can be kinda dusty

1. How do you manage your coop bedding? Do you have a poop board? Do you scoop poop? How often do you change the bedding?

I use deep bedding kinda, and clean it out like 1x a month , probably longer and it gets scoops out into the run where the chickens spread it all over. (my time frames are all off...I know it's not often enough to hate it lol)
No poo boards
In the mornings, I usually mix in the poo from them roosting all night (literally 2 seconds) if I need to add to it I do, if not I do not

1. What litter do you prefer in the run? What are it's major advantages? What are it's major disadvantages?

I again use pine shavings, which started kinda accidental bc i needes something to help with mud after a good rain. I love it, super simple...I am sure there's disadvantages as with everything..my only major one is the chickens can kick it abt easy and it ends up on the water cups sometimes

1. How do you manage your run litter? Is your run covered against rain/snow or open to the weather? Do you scoop poop?

I don't touch my run litter. It is not covered to the elements, I have very very tiny hole netting (Pic of netting attached)

1. Has your system changed over time?

As of now, it's only changed for the better as I learn.

1. Is there something you'd like to change if you could? Why? What is preventing you from changing it?

I'd like to have added some thicker pieces of wood shavings, and still may some day...just currently no idea where to get them from around me.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'd like to have added some thicker pieces of wood shavings, and still may some day...just currently no idea where to get them from around me.

If you have the space to store a pile, tree-trimming services are often happy to not have to pay to dump them. But you have to take the entire truckload.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

If you have the space to store a pile, tree-trimming services are often happy to not have to pay to dump them. But you have to take the entire truckload.

My husband probably would not appreciate that

 

[Iluveggers]

my only major one is the chickens can kick it abt easy and it ends up on the water cups sometimes

I had the same problem, so two days ago I found a couple old bricks in the garage, and put them under my water bucket to elevate it off the ground. They are about 3 inches high. Since then, I haven’t found any shavings in the water! The lip of the waterer is still below the girls heads, so they can easily reach it.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I had the same problem, so two days ago I found a couple old bricks in the garage, and put them under my water bucket to elevate it off the ground. They are about 3 inches high. Since then, I haven’t found any shavings in the water! The lip of the waterer is still below the girls heads, so they can easily reach it.

I have mine up on cinder blocks (horizontal) these chickens can kick bahahaha