Shavings vs Straw

[PonyRaindrop]

It would depend on you th climate but in Michigan we have decent summers and cold winters, and the fall season is wet. I have used straw, pine shavings, and sand and personally I like the shavings better. The straw got stinky, matted, and didn't help with moisture at all. It was cost effective, but I'm willing to spend a little extra to keep my girls healthy.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I flip the straw every few days and it lasts a long time.

That might be pretty helpful.

My birds also do enjoy scratching through when it's fresh and searching for all the little seeds that fall off.

I also have sand in my coop. But wouldn't use it for my run. Try to keep my run like the forest floor

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

That might be pretty helpful.

My birds also do enjoy scratching through when it's fresh and searching for all the little seeds that fall off.

I also have sand in my coop. But wouldn't use it for my run. Try to keep my run like the forest floor

Yes, yes. Never let those hens forget their wild roots

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

I have actually used straw before, and had to flip it about every day. But what I was really wondering was if anyone knew of a way to chop it up aside from getting a wood chipper.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

And what about sweet PDZ? Or DE? Isn't it an anti-clumping agent? Do they work with straw?

 

[BYCforlife]

Obviously this wouldn't work for any of you, but there are bags of wood shavings for sale at UFA, too.

 

[PirateGirl]

Look around for anyone that sells lumber or firewood (independent, not a big box store). I get free shavings from two different people locally who have their own saw mill. One is a guy who builds custom log furniture, the other processes and sells lumber for log home construction etc. The one guy even will bag up the shavings for me and they stay nice and dry. Also since the lumber is local it is not host to any other parasites etc. that aren't already found in the area.

 

[aart]

Can't answer your poll because I use both for different purposes.

Shavings on the floor of coop, total change out once a year.
2-3 TSC large flake bales per year in a 6x16 coop.
But that's because I use PDZ on poop boards.

Straw in nests, deepish litter in run,
old shavings and soiled straw get tossed into run.

We actually make our own straw, so storage isn't an issue.

Then you might know someone with a straw chopper?

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Can't answer your poll because I use both for different purposes.

Shavings on the floor of coop, total change out once a year.
2-3 TSC large flake bales per year in a 6x16 coop.
But that's because I use PDZ on poop boards.

Straw in nests, deepish litter in run,
old shavings and soiled straw get tossed into run.


Then you might know someone with a straw chopper?

I kinda like to keep it fresh. I do about once a week in the summer. Once every other in the winter.
As for the straw chopper, no. No one around here has such a thing.

 

[aart]

I kinda like to keep it fresh.

That's where the poop board comes in, gets most the poop out of coop every day or two. Poop on floor just dries up in the shavings. I have 15-18 birds in 6x16 over winter.