I usually use hay for bedding, but after the wood has been cut for the winter there is a lot of oak shavings. I wondered if I could use those for bedding.
Oak shavings should work-not too smelly like cedar to irritate the airways... and so much easier to clean than straw!!
yes awhole lot better than straw or hay...I found out after research that straw and hay, are hollow thus causing an area for mite/lice to harbor ...which leads to your babies getting lice/mites and having a hard time getting rid of...no matter how many times you dust your chickens. Not to mention that hay is hot, so its not good to use in summer. I changed over to shavings and its alot cleaner also I change it out every 6mos, can go longer....what I do is get a rake daily and fluff it up, then once a week, I get a kitty scooper and take out there poop that didnt dissolve. No flies either and smells very clean.
