Pine needles/pine straw for coop?

[JanetRN1]

I have a plethora of pine trees that shed their straw and we blow it into piles. I use it in my dog kennel and landscaping. Would it be ok in the coop?

 

[TexasBaybee]

I have a plethora of pine trees that shed their straw and we blow it into piles. I use it in my dog kennel and landscaping. Would it be ok in the coop?

I have just stared using the pine needles in my coop because on another thread on here (BYC) I was told mites lice and other pest that get on or bother chickens do not like the needles. Everyone (hens) seems to like them just fine

 

[JanetRN1]

That’s great news! I’m going to put them on the ground of the run, too. Thank you!

 

[paintedChix]

I've used them in combination w/ other natural items.

They do take longer to break down & sometimes mat up. But overall, work great!

 

[JanetRN1]

Thank you! I’m surrounded by pine trees so I figured I’d try them. They seem to cut down on dust in the dog run and are easy to change out. Perfect!

 

[paintedChix]

If you run some of them through a shredder, before using as litter, they don't pack as much & break down faster. Different sizes of natural material allows aeration & both water "flow through" & water absorption.

Using shredded cardboard (boxes, news paper, junk mail, old bills) works great, too.