personal opinion on bedding??

[Morri]

Currently i have a 4m by 3m pen with 4 chickens in it, it has deep litter - tanbark (woodchips) as flooring, it has been great as i only have to clean them out twice a year but now i am introducing peafowl so i want to keep disease/bacteria to a minimum. I cant buy woodchips all the time to change the litter as they are expensive... so What would you suggest be used for the floor as litter to keep bacteria to a bare minimum? what do you use? - Thanks guys!

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Buy woodchips? I think not! I use the lawnmower bagger to collect clippings, pine needles/cones, etc. I have used my wheelbarrow and roamed under the pine trees and chestnut trees to collect cones and burrs to add bulk to the mulch. I too only clean out my coop in the spring to put the composted coop mulch on the garden. I have one of those lightweight cheap woodchippers, its not good for much except when it comes to cornstalks, weedstalks, leaves and other easy chopper stuff---that also adds to the mixture for the coop. If you incorporate weed seedheads with the mix, the chickens will constantly turn it over, keeping it well aerorated and clean compost smelling, not ammonia sour.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I use pine shavings but here it is only $5 for a BIG bag. Altho the stuff they sell at fleet farm lately is infested with wood mites. If you use an additive like Diatomacious Earth (food grade) or stall dry on any type of bedding you choose that will keep the bedding nice and dry, keeping the birds healthy

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Really??? Never heard that before.


Morri, I also use shredded paper from a bank as bedding. It's absolutely free, in fact the bank president actually drops it off for me!!! I also use straw, hay, and grass clippings. I feel the deep litter works better for me with a variety of substrates.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Buy woodchips? I think not! I use the lawnmower bagger to collect clippings, pine needles/cones, etc. I have used my wheelbarrow and roamed under the pine trees and chestnut trees to collect cones and burrs to add bulk to the mulch. I too only clean out my coop in the spring to put the composted coop mulch on the garden. I have one of those lightweight cheap woodchippers, its not good for much except when it comes to cornstalks, weedstalks, leaves and other easy chopper stuff---that also adds to the mixture for the coop. If you incorporate weed seedheads with the mix, the chickens will constantly turn it over, keeping it well aerorated and clean compost smelling, not ammonia sour.

I use grass clippings too. And pine needles to 'top off' over the winter. Having a poop board that I clean daily has made my litter last a whole year. Periodic 'topping' of the litter will freshen up the smell. I use same stuff for nests too. Best of all, it is free. Hay is also a great mid-winter litter-topper, but I have to buy mine, so I prefer pine needles.