Using hay in the floor of hen house

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I use hay in my coops. I put it in deep and it has worked far better for me than anything else.

 

[chickiedoodle]

It depends on how much time I have. The straw requires more maintenance because I have to help them turn it once in a while and add to it a little more often--but it is cheaper and I like how quickly it composts. However, at the moment I am preggers and don't want to mess about in the coop, so I am using shavings. With either I add DE all over and a bit of lime under the roosts.

 

[farmin'chick]

What is DE and how necessary is it?

DE stands for Diatomaceous Earth. It is an insecticide that is considered non-toxic (get Food Grade DE). It will help keep down lice and mites, other bugs, etc. The birds like to dust in it, too. You want to avoid breathing the dust.

If you have something that works better, I guess you wouldn't need DE...your chickens may be less comfortable without it, but you get to be the judge for your flock.​

 

[briesberrypatch]

I don't use DE and have had no problems at all.

As far as turning, I keep a garden rake in my coop and give it a push under the roost now and then to mix everything up and expose fresh straw. If I'm feeling lazy, I throw some scratch corn out in the early evening and the chickens toss the straw for me.

 

[ChooksChick]

I use hay on the floor and in the nestboxes. I hardly ever have to change it out (quarterly at worst) and I think it's because of the poop boards.

I have my nestboxes set up 2 high and the tops of the top layers is a 24" wide, waist-high countertop, with a 2x4" across it, wide side up, about 8" above the top.

This shows it with the roost up in a different position than where it is now, down at the level of the boards across the side, and back, centered over the countertop (poop board).

The light layer of hay on the poop board allows me to use a hand broom to sweep the whole thing, poop and hay, into a 5 gallon bucket every few days, which I dump into a composter- it's a perfect ratio for fast composting, too! Some don't use anything on top of the poop board, but I don't want to scrape!

This leaves almost zero poop to hit the floor in the coop, so there isn't any smell, ever, on the floor hay. I do have to fluff it up a bit occasionally, so the heavy birds have a soft landing.

I prefer hay by far, and without having to change the floor, I only have to buy 2 bales a year, max. I do use food grade DE I get at the ritzy dog food store on the floor, because it prevents hay mites. I use it on the roosts, too, once a year.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/14596_img_1640.jpg

 

[Gin530]

I am using hay because we have quite a bit of it. We use to have cattle and this is the leftovers from that era. Since it is free, that's why I have used it. I've never tried straw. So, it doesn't compact down like the hay? A bag of shavings around here is a little over $5.00. Not sure about the straw. I just know that hay is not pleasant in the hen house.

 

[Gin530]

Well, that is an interesting set up. The poop never hits the floor. We have always strived to make sure they couldn't poo on top of the boxes. Maybe I don't use enough hay, or/and, I never stir it. I am learning so much.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

We use hay, too, because we fill up the barn with each winter at about $2.00/bale. Only takes a few bales a year to do the hen house ... clean it out completely about 3 times a year. We have about 30 hens. Works for us and price is right.

 

[Chickn chick 46]

I use a mix of shavings and chopped straw. I found a leaf chopper machine at a yard sale and it works great for chopping up the straw. We used to use the lawn mower with the bag attached which worked but this is much easier.

 

[chickiedoodle]

Well that is what I get for living in CA I guess. Two dollars a bale for HAY???? Sheesh, I am excited to be paying "only" $7.50 a bale at the moment. Even straw is $3-5. Unfortunately my girls are stuck with straw or shavings. If they want hay they are going to have to move across the country