Pine Needles as coop cover?

[FloridaHen]

My coop is on grass 10x10x6 fenced in yard at the moment but I wondered about using pine needles as a layer for easy cleaning as I have TONS of pine trees ( Also a huge oak tree with always falling leaves) around our property? Instead of raking and burning these nuisances, could I possibly be "recycling" them for a 2nd use? I put a pile of leaves and pine needles in there the other day for the girls and Brutus to play in and they loved it, but will it hurt them if I use it outside in their yard area as a ground cover?
The picture of the coop is my avatar

Brynda
" Head Hen of the Beaks and Talons Inn" ... the name of our coop...LOL

 

[Judy]

Lots of people use dried leaf litter for the litter in their coop. I'm not sure about pine needles, whether they would attract roaches or fire ants???

 

[azygous]

It shouldn't hurt them at all. Lots of great bugs in pine needles and leaves make for happy chickens.

I'm inundated with pine needles myself, and my chickens adore scratching through them, as do the wild turkeys that are always hanging out.

 

[scflock]

My only concern about the pine needles would be them poking the chickens. I use oak leaves, and really like them. That's a good, dry carbon to use with the droppings for compost