Straw? Shavings? Chips? Help!

[krcote]

I've never used DE in my roughly 4 years of chicken keeping

I'm not sure it's necessary in my area of the country?

 

[TXchickmum]

We line our nest boxes with unconventional material - fluffy hand towels. (We have three standard hens that pile into one nest box despite having individual boxes, and two bantams that prefer their own.) Anyway, the towels eliminate mess and the girls seem to love them. -does make for a tad bit of extra laundry, but I'd rather wash towels than continually sweep and replace shavings, etc.

 

[sdsmowen]

We use straw and its the food grade DE i get ours at tractor supply

Welcome to BYC

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Yes, you want food grade DE typically sold at feed stores or you can order it online. DO NOT get the stuff sold at pool supply stores as it is different.

I've used it for the past two years, as long as I've had chickens. I have it on the floor of my hen house, in their nests and I sprinkle it in their favorite dust bathing spots. I've yet to see a big or mite or lice on any of my hens. So I like to think it's doing it's job keeping the bad bugs at bay.

 

[fishnet1971]

I have sand in one house. Sand under the roosts makes for super easy clean up. I even put sand in their nest boxes which they didn't seem to mind one bit. The sand sticks to the eggs a bit but brushes right off. Super easy to keep clean with a kitty litter scoop. And mix in some DE to keep the bed bugs at bay.

I wish I could use sand here in Ohio. Gets to cold and wet. You are so lucky!

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

We've been using this system for 3 years
Straw for nest box's, ( not the coop because it gets easily moldy which can cause infection ) Shavings or chips for coop although they seem to like shavings more just make sure it's is shavings not sawdust because it's bad for them to breath it in

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

We've been using this system for 3 years
Straw for nest box's, ( not the coop because it gets easily moldy which can cause infection ) Shavings or chips for coop although they seem to like shavings more just make sure it's is shavings not sawdust because it's bad for them to breath it in

 

[arpyhh]

We've been using this system for 3 years
Straw for nest box's, ( not the coop because it gets easily moldy which can cause infection ) Shavings or chips for coop although they seem to like shavings more just make sure it's is shavings not sawdust because it's bad for them to breath it in

That's just what I did.
I need to get a scoop though!

 

[AnimalsComeFirst]

Pine shavings are best, easy to clean, in expensive.

DE is a brown powder... we found DE at local feed stores... it basically is safe for all animals to put in food, water, shavings.... it gets rid of mites and fleas, and is good for their system and to put in their feathers. It is basically good all around... people have different opinions on it, but I think it works well. My girls are very healthy looking after the first few days of treatment of the powder in their food and water. I don't remember seeing different kinds of it.....

 

[ChickadeeRanch]

Well we just take all the bedding out and replace it