Straw or Shavings

[cravenchx]

I use shavings and a poop board, and I love the shavings! It smells so nice and I only have to clean it out once a season, but that's mainly because of the poop board. I've never tried stray but have been curious about it. I don't think it would be absorbant enough for me though. I walk around in the coop and I prefer having the poop disappear in the shavings than get squished around in the straw? That and I just use a snow shovel to scoop it up. Not sure how easy scooping straw is.

I use a snow shovel with straw too and a rake. Pretty easy.

 

[wsmith]

I use the Deep Litter method with whatever is available and cheep at the time. Right now there is about 5 inches of litter in the hen house, a combination of straw, old hay and leaves. Zero ammonia or offensive smell at all.( I use wood shavings when brooding chicks, but for me it tends to start to smell pretty quick.) If I find an area that the hens haven't stirred up, I use my foot and make a "hole" in the litter and scatter a little scratch in the general area and they take care of it. No need for a poop board or daily cleaning. BTW, its been nearly 4 months since it was cleaned out.............. I have 5 more bales of old hay and 5 giant garbage bags full of leaves with more on the way. I think we are set for the winter with bedding. My compost bins will be happy come springtime!
I've heard good things about PDZ, but have never used it myself.

 

[chicken gal]

I got to go to the feed store and stock up.

 

[Pharm Girl]

I switched to Sweet PDZ on just the poop boards and totally love it. I have a bucket/lid combination from Lowe's and a cat litter scoop (need a solid, strong one with a straight tip) and just sift the poop out in the mornings.

 

[chicken gal]

I thinking I might need a poop board. But also we were thinking that you can put plastic under the straw or shavings and just pull it up when you wanted to clean it the coop.Would that work?

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I'm doing deep litter and use shavings and leaves. They seem to love the combination. No poop board since it's deep litter and it seems to be doing great!

 

[chicken gal]

I bet that easier then my idea!!

 

[Kaitie09]

I use shavings in the spring, summer, and fall. In the winter we clean the coop entirely and then put straw in. During the winter we just pile new straw on top of the old every week or so. we did this for both the chickens and goats, and along with keeping the main people door closed, there is about a 10 degree difference between outside and inside. In the spring, we empty it all out and it goes into a compost pile out back.

 

[lynyrd]

I use both. I use shavings for the main floor areas of the coops because it seems to stay drier and is easy to clean. I use straw in the nesting boxes and throw flakes of straw in secluded corners because the hens and pullets like to rest on it and lay eggs.

 

[lynyrd]

Oh I am also using straw bales as windbreaks this winter outside my run