What bedding do you use?

[jutakis]

Hello! Wondering what you use for bedding in the house and run for your chickens. I've been using sand in the brooder and it seems to be working great. I bought washed 1/4 minus from the local sand/gravel company. Thinking about using it for the house and run unless you all have better advice?

 

[Twistedfeather]

I tend to use bedding pellets (the ones they often use with horse stalls) all I have to do is water them down and the pellets expand and break apart. This makes it really easy to clean the pens without having to do a deep clean for a while. In my Pigeon lofts I use shavings (Possibly cedar)

 

[jutakis]

Thanks for your input. Do you have any issues with wetness? I have been told to avoid cedar because it can cause respiratory problems in chickens. Maybe pidgeons are different? I'm completely new to this and completing the coop this week. Any help is appreciated!

 

[trailrider330]

As someone who had horses for over 30 years, I prefer to use pine shavings. I guess I am a creature of habit.

 

[3riverschick]

I agree with trailrider.
I get the coop clean and swept. Then I dust the floor with a thin film of food grade diotamatious earth (DE).
Just thick enough so I can't see the floor. Then I scatter a thin film of Sweet PDZ over the DE. Same thickness as the DE. Then I carefully scatter a 4 inch layer of Tractor Supply's white bale of pine shavings. The white bale is hardwood shavings ( smells like fresh dry sawdust) . The yellow bale is softwood shavings ( smells like turpentine).
1. The DE scratches the exoskeleton of unwanted bugs so they dehydrate and dy.
2. The Sweet PDZ absorbs wetness below the chips and helps control ammonia in the chips.
3. The white bale is low dust and kiln dried for freshness.
Best,
Karen

 

[Star627]

How often do you clean & change the chips? Or do you just keep adding more & more for a while?

 

[csaylorchickens]

I am all about the sand! Plaster sand is amazing can't love it anymore! I used I on poop boards and in the run. It has so many benefits. It acts as grit, dust bath, keeps odor gone, drains excess water, easy to scoop poop, realatively low cost, cooling on hot days, endless likes!! I wish I would have thought of sand for the brooder I used pine shavings an was going I loose my mind! I only use pine shavings and a small amount of DE in the nesting boxes.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

I use rice hulls in the coop and dry leaves in the run (with straw and or pine shavings if I need more dry matter). The rice hulls are awesome. They don't compact, they stay nice an dry, and they're super easy to scoop out and replace every other week.

 

[jutakis]

Silly question.. What are poop boards?

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Silly question.. What are poop boards?

Exactly what they sound like, a board mounted under the roosts to catch poop. If you search the forum, you'll find LOTS of posts about them.