What’s your favorite coop bedding?

[LittleRedCoopLady]

So, we are building a larger coop approximately 10x10, and I’m just curious as to what preferences everyone has when it comes to coop bedding. Why do you like one over the other, etc..... I’ve only used pine shavings in my smaller coop, but am wondering if I should try something different to cut down on cost and maintenance. We have cold winters with very little snow and hot summers (80-90 degrees) where I live....
Also, has anyone tried rubber roof sealer on their coop floors? Was it a success?
Thank you!

 

[LittleRedCoopLady]

White bag pine shavings. I add several handfuls each month and dump everything out every 3 months on the first day of each quarter and add 3-4” back. no poop board, no other additives, etc. 5 minutes a month, 30 minutes a quarter.

I’m trying to get away from shavings. It takes me a lot longer than 5 mins to clean my coop

 

[humblehillsfarm]

.
I'm waiting for you to hit a year, that would be 'long term'.
Am terribly intrigued by the coffee ground thing....by my jaded skepticism stops me from indulging.

For me it has been long term since the pine shavings have been braking down after 2-3 months. Both pine and straw molded for me when wet. But I am anxious too to see where I am in a year with the coffee!

 

[Mamatomany123]

We have a 10 x 8 coop and use pine shaving. But we have a poop board under their roost and clean that every morning

 

[LittleRedCoopLady]

I use poop boards sifted each morning. I change the coop bedding annually. I use hemp. Very low dust and composts better than shavings.

Where do you buy your hemp? Do you use it under the roost as well, or do you use sand?

 

[aart]

The only thing I advise is not leaving the water in with the coop because wet coffee grounds can mold

That to me would be a huge down side.

but long term I've spent less in replacing it or adding more.

I'm waiting for you to hit a year, that would be 'long term'.
Am terribly intrigued by the coffee ground thing....by my jaded skepticism stops me from indulging.


What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture
-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' or differently in 7 years.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm waiting for you to hit a year, that would be 'long term'.
Am terribly intrigued by the coffee ground thing....by my jaded skepticism stops me from indulging.

I'm just waiting for the bags of Grounds to be available somewhere in my vicinity. I even set up my roost area for it only to realize they won't ship this far haha. Figured by the time stores around here start carrying it, maybe we'll get a lot more reviews for it, and then I can rethink if I still want to do it.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Grounds (coffee grounds) from Tractor Supply. Been using them for 2.5 months. They smell great, light weight, are scoopable, compostable, dust free (even after 2.5 months), and recycled! The only thing I advise is not leaving the water in with the coop because wet coffee grounds can mold. I save and air-dry my own grounds to help replenish what is lost to scooping or birds kicking it out of the coop. Only downside is upfront cost is slightly more than buying straw or pineshavings, but long term I've spent less in replacing it or adding more. I have a poop board that I added prior to switching to grounds, and I really don't need it anymore but I still use it lined with Sweet PDZ for easy scooping there as well.

My second suggestion would be sand, but it may not be dust-free, is much heavier, and is not compostable.

I've used both pine and straw as well. Straw can't be scooped and holds moisture too much (stinky) in my opinion and pine shavings break down after so long and become extremely dusty.

 

[DobieLover]

I use poop boards sifted each morning. I change the coop bedding annually. I use hemp. Very low dust and composts better than shavings.

 

[Doc7]

White bag pine shavings. I add several handfuls each month and dump everything out every 3 months on the first day of each quarter and add 3-4” back. no poop board, no other additives, etc. 5 minutes a month, 30 minutes a quarter.