What are you putting on your coop floor this winter???

[chickfamilyonsleepyhollow]

I've been using wood shavings on the floor in the coop which has been great ... with cold weather approaching here in New England I'm wondering if I should put straw on the floor or just continue to use wood shavings or use a combination of both --- the coop is 8 x 4 and unheated ... what will you do this winter??? Thanks for your advice

 

[LynneP]

We deepen the bedding which is mainly pine chavings. In summer I keep about 4 inches on planks over a concrete floor ( the coops are in our barn). Adding more lessens the air space and stores heat a bit better. Do you have insulation under the floor of your coop? And I use dry bedding, not the deep-litter method, because I don't want to deal with ammonia fumes in winter.

 

[darkmatter]

I use lawnmower clippings, pine cones, pine needles, leaves and just about anything I can rake up for my sub-ground level Deep litter method. See my BYC page

 

[puredelite]

My neighbor has a cabinet shop so I have access to planer shavings that I use on top of an underlayment of vinyl flooring. I do plan on increasing the depth for the winter to around 4-5" for better insulation as my floor has no insulation other than the shavings.

 

[pontoosuc]

I'm in the same situation and will track replies to this thread.

My coop is 5x16 (1/2 of a 10x16 shed) the rest of the space is used for storage
of bedding, feed etc. We have 16 pullets.

I use pine shavings, cleaning out every week or two and totally replace each time.

We have no insulation. I'm thinking I'll just increase the thickness of the pine shavings
and just add to it and clean out as needed during the winter.

I've always been hesitant on straw or hay use after I read stories of impacted crops after
the chickens try eating it. I'm in western MA and we are well below freezing for a few months.

 

[fldiver97]

I use pine shavings, about 8 inches deep for unheated 8x12 coop during the winter months. I will put a couple of bales of straw in the coop to make a 'windblock' by the popdoor as I keep that open almost all winter long during the day. I have poop trays filled with Stall Dri or PDZ under the roosts and clean those out like a litterbox. Last winter I had mix of shavings and straw, it was OK but harder to keep clean (at least for me). I plan on leaving the shavings all winter and only remove any wet or soiled spots. Last winter the girls pecked and scratched the bales of straw a bit so by the end of winter approx 1/2 a bale of straw was scattered around. In the covered run I used a couple of inch thick layer of sand on top of soil and in late fall put a thick layer of leaves on top. The girls liked it and worked it over all winter long. The had a nice dry, snowfree area to scratch and dust bathe . This fall I will not add more sand, just lots of leaves again. I only have 6 chickens. They did well last winter though, all are cold hardy breeds. No frostbite on feet,combs or wattles and they laid a decent anmount of eggs all winter too.
I do spot clean, sprinkle Stall Dri as needed and add shavings as needed, no problems with smell or moisture last winter. Total coop clean out in the spring, I compost everything and wash/disinfect coop.

 

[PepsNick]

pinestraw.

 

[chickfamilyonsleepyhollow]

I'm wondering if we can put pine needles in the coop

we have pine trees all over the yard ... does anyone use pine needles in their coop

 

[Lisa202]

Quote:


Me too. I would love to use straw, but I'm afraid to. Do we have to be????

 

[Lisa202]

Quote:
Sounds like a good system. I think I'll follow you. Thanks for the advice!!