something besides shavings

[NestingHillsSC]

For my brooder I use the fine pine shavings from TSC. The flake doesn't pack down well enough. Gets all in there food and water. Use the flake for the bottom of the hen house. Don't like to use straw as mites will bed in the hollow straw in the summer. But I do use straw for the hen boxes. I clean them out a lot so don't worry about mites. Plus the hens like it better.

 

[noahsmom]

Where do you purchase your sand? & Can you use any sand? Is it a good choice for a coop that is a dirt floor?
I'm having a dillema of what I'm going to use as well and really don't like shavings personally.

 

[Hawgon]

I got river sand locally and love it. I have it both my coops and runs. Easy to clean and cheap. Used shavings when I first got chickens and was messy, held moisture, poop and was hard to clean. Good luck to you

 

[2many2count]

We use corn cob bedding in ours. We have been known to put hay in there for them to pick thru but we stopped using any pine saving years ago. It was easier to deal with the corn cob bedding plus the chickens of all ages like it best.

 

[AVintageLife]

I use a combination of the Lucerne Gold and wood shavings. The Lucerne really keeps the dust down and will compost better for me than just all wood shavings. The pullets like the Lucerne in their nesting boxes too.

 

[noahsmom]

I'm so confused on what to get, I don't think I could have anyone haul sand back to where the barn is & our coop is some over 11'x12'. I'm thinking hay would be the most cost effective, but I don't like the idea of mites, possible impacted crops either.
I just personally do not like shavings at all, Not saying anything wrong with those who use them! If it works for you then keep using!!! I just dont like the smell of them & having an 11x12 room of them just does not sound appealing to me to have to go into daily or to clean out.
I could buy sand by the bag, but I'm thinking this would get costly REALLY quick! So, other ideas. I will look into the corn cob bedding, I also heard about some other kind of pellets people use? I seen like the equine pellets people use for horses....How do those work for you all?

 

[showbarnmom]

I use a mixture of ceder fiber and horse pellet bedding in side my coop. The run is on a dirt floor, so nothing out there except hay from me throwing it in there from the horses. The chicks like to scratch through it. I love the smell of the cedar fibers, we use it in all of our barns. My cattle and horse pens smell wonderful because of it. I love the horse pellets too. They absorb wonderfully. I am picking up some sweet PDZ at TSC this week some time to sprinkle over the fibers in the coop to help keep smells down.

 

[Brookliner]

I thought that cedar was a no no for chickens because of the effect on their respiratory system.

 

[showbarnmom]

It can be. But these are different than shavings. And my coop is well ventilated

 

[Hawgon]

I thought that cedar was a no no for chickens because of the effect on their respiratory system.

I heard it was just chicks that can have a problem with cedar shavings....