Pine Shavings vs. Rice Hulls

[Chocobo]

There is a store in my area that sells rice hulls and I have read a few times that some people prefer it to pine shavings but I can't find a reason why except that it might break down faster in the compost pile.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of rice hulls compared to pine shavings?
Is one better than the other for the floor or the nest box?

 

[slnorac1975]

I like them because I can go out with a kitty litter scoop, scoop the poo, and not have to change the whole thing. I also find the hulls don't hold moisture/odor like the shavings do. And the hulls are neutral for your compost vs acidic, like the pine shavings.

 

[Chocobo]

Quote:
Interesting.
Do rice hulls work for nest box material as well or do you need something that isn't as "powdery"?

 

[Marshchick]

Are rice hulls more expensive than pine shavings? I don't think I've seen those at our grain store.

 

[slnorac1975]

I have the hulls in the nesting boxes, too. The girls don't seem to mind, but they have only just started to lay (first egg yesterday). At our store the bag of hulls is about $3 more than a bag of shavings, but it lasts longer, as you scoop the poo out. I scoop every few days, but you will never get all of the small bits out and I do a full change every three months (I suck them out with our shop vac) and dump the whole lot in the compost heap. The kid at the farm store, who has 3 chickens, said he goes through a bag a year. I could probably do the same, but I like the fresh look/smell of fresh rice hulls!

 

[opalwednesday]

one of my friends on the desert dwellers thread recomended rice hulls because they act more like sand in that they let the water go past them instead of inside them. for three bucks extra they sound like something to try out.