- May 17, 2007
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I've been raising chickens for about 35 years and have always used straw. I've never had a problem with mites...never. Don't use hay. The leaves on it can rot and cause problems. Shavings and sand can be OK, but consider the dust issue and make sure whatever you use has a low dust level. You don't want your girls breathing in a lot of dust particles and end up with respiratory problems. Straw is clean, relatively dust free and is easy to clean out. It has a nice smell too.