Rice hulls instead of pine shavings?

[sbtgal]

DH and I are beginning to think we are allergic to pine shavings. I have been looking into possible alternatives and the guy at the feed store suggested Rice Hulls. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with them. Are they absorbent. do they control smell. etc etc. I want a material that I can sift through a coarse screen to get the poo out of the coop. I thought of course sawdust, but I'm guessing I'll have allergies to that too.

Suggestions?

 

[duckinnut]

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Ground corn cobs,straw or hay and possibly walnut hulls but expensive. I thought about coffee beans husks but just too dusty. Are you sure you not allergic to the chicken dander? you know that fine yellowish white dust that seems to cover everything that isnt in use in the coop. That would be my bet.

 

[IRChicken]

Sand has the advantage of keeping down the bacteria and the poo dries on top making cleaning easy.

I put this "rice hulls site:backyardchickens.com/forum" into Google and got these responses:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-...gc.r_pw.&fp=8ded67b18f2c031f&biw=1233&bih=549

There are a few answers to your question.

Cheers

 

[Harris5]

The chickens LOVE rice hulls as bedding. That is all I use.

 

[sbtgal]

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Is it absorbent and easy to sift? How about odor control?

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Thanks for the link!

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Good lord I hope not!

 

[SanctusPullus]

Started with rice hulls today. I compost and the pine shavings that attach themselves to all the poop take waaaaaay to long to break down. My big compost bin isn't anywhere near the stage it should be in after six months and that's with adding worms and nitrogen boosts besides all the leftover veggies and fruits. The rice husks supposedly break down in days, we'll see! ANyone else compost the rice hulls with the poop?