straw vs. wood chips?

[muddler6]

Whatever you can get free or cheap. I have used shredded newspaper in nest boxes and in my chicken tractor for a period of time when I couldn't make it out to get chips. (you have to change the newspaper very often though or it will hold the moisture from the poo.) I have one nest box with chips and one with straw, mine use both, although the liked the straw better at first. So long story just a little longer, either is fine, go with what is cheapest, they will adapt.

 

[rainbowgardens]

Don't forget about leaves. Of course, it's a little late to collect them now. I mow over them with my push mower and they get sucked up into the bag. I bag it up for use all winter. I also use straw since I have it for the garden anyway. I get sawdust from work and mix that in too. The three make a nice airy mixture that the hens love to scratch around in.

 

[riley]

i had rabbits before i had chickens so i already used wood chips and they allways worked great a freind of mine uses hay and their coop allways seems to be a mess

 

[Buster]

I can't stand straw but the price is certainly right. Pine shavings work the best for me. Straw doesn't seem to absorb as well and gets nasty fast. Pine shavings tend to stay drier for longer and work very well with the deep litter method.

 

[digitS']

The insulated room of my coop doesn't have an insulated floor. This year, pine shavings are working fairly well to keep things clean, dry, and warm.

I've used pine needles and really like how it makes such good compost however, pine needles do mat down into something of a mess. I'm sure that straw would have some of that same matting problem.
Using deep straw one Winter didn't serve me well - mice

!! I couldn't believe how the chickens couldn't get them during the daytime and there were so many when it came time to move the straw out. Actually, I would have been happy to leave the straw in a month or so longer except for - mice!!

Steve

 

[miron28]

i was using hay in the laying boxes and then i switched to wood shavings and my chickens quit laying so i put the hay back in and now they started to lay again also when i removed the wood shavings i found a couple of eggs that i didn't know were there so i am going to stay away from the wood shavings

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I use pine shavings in the summer, and switch to straw and shavings mixed in the winter.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

We have had so much rain and wet weather the last month its terrible for the birds. I am putting down fresh straw every few days just to try and give them something dry to walk on. In the spring I will use it for mulch so its not a total loss. I just hate for the birds to walk in mud on cold days. It does harbor mice and I guess it could other vermin as well but I would rather battle them than let the biddes stand in water and mud.