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!

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I use shavings, but I have smaller coops that take maybe 20 minutes max to clean for each of the biggest ones

 

[DobieLover]

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

I buy it from New Country Organics. It's not cheap.
You could continue to use pine shavings if you installed poop boards. My coop is 8x12 with 27 ft of roost space. It takes me a total of about 7 minutes to scoop the poop boards every morning. I use PDZ on the boards.
In use.

Cleaned.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use wood chips, because it's free and easy to manage. I just spot scoop up poop from under roosts each morning.

Also, has anyone tried rubber roof sealer on their coop floors? Was it a success?

I assume you're talking about Black Jack 57? So far very satisfied with it... floor is ding free, scratch free, even after dragging a metal rake across it and scraping off dried poop with a metal scraper.