what do I put on the coop floor?

[UrbanChickenMama]

Welcome neighbor! I use pine shavings on the floor because they are more absorbent, easy to find around here, and I can easily do the deep litter method.

 

[beckysaur]

Where do you get your pine shavings? Are they expensive?

 

[UrbanMama]

We use shavings too...the price will probably vary across the country, but we pay around 5$ a bale (huge paper covered bag of compressed shavings)

ETA....one of those bags....goes a loooooong way!

 

[college town chick]

Pine shavings are probably the most convenient and practical bedding for the chickens, but beware of using pine shavings as compost for your garden; they are not an ideal additive (I believe because they take so long to decompose and something to do with the chemical component of the pine shavings itself).

Found this out from my husband (Master Gardener) after I got the grand idea that my horse's old bedding (was using pine at the time) would be a great contribution to his garden.

I've since switched to using straw and pine shavings -- we get the absorbency of the pine with the warmth and "bed" of the straw (my old horse likes to curl up in it when it's cold, so do my goats and our dogs), and he gets the straw for his garden (we just have to burn the underlayer of used pine shavings).

Rice hulls and this shredded hemp bedding are wonderfully absorbent, decompose well, can be used as garden compost, and are not dusty (a big problem with the pine and some really poor quality straw) -- but it's impossible to get it here, and the cost is prohibitive.

I may not know how chickens would fare on it -- but after a lifetime around horses (who are picky in their requirements with everything) I do know my bedding materials and the pratfalls of disposing of them!

*Forgot to add: there is a commercial bedding made out of corn cobs that is almost as good (imho) as the rice hulls and hemp, and at least around here is less expensive than pine shavings. Some horses (including mine) like to nibble at it though, so while it's good stuff I don't use it. I don't know if chickens, goats, or other critters would eat the stuff (some horses don't either).

 

[UrbanChickenMama]

beckysaur,
you can get them at farm and garden stores or feed stores. there's a ton around town. One out out Powell, just east of 205, one in Oregon City, there's a fabulous place inner NE... I'd have to look that one up....

college town chick,
I use the pine shavings in my compost. They just don't decompose as quick, but seem to be fine. I'd be interested to hear more about what your DH says.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Quote:
I get mine from the local Tractor Supply, 5.5 cubic feet, for $4.99

 

[Montana-Hens]

Like college town chick, I use a combination of straw and shavings.

I think it all comes down to preference and how often you clean your coop.

I have a small 4 chickens in a cold climate coop. I rake out the poo piles under the roost daily, and add some more shavings. About once a week I add a handful of straw that they will spend days kicking up. I don't deep litter, I worry about ammonia b/c my coop is minimum sized. I compost in a pile separate from the ladies coop, though it spends at least half the year frozen.

Good luck with your choice of floor covering.

 

[UrbanChickenMama]

BTW: I realized I didn't answer the second part to your question. Its about $15/bag. The 1st bag this summer lasted me for months, this 2nd bag is not lasting as long... I think because of all the rain, snow, etc... moisture that is tracked in this time of year.

 

[rooster0209]

During the summer months I didnt have anything on the concrete floor. Then when they started spending more time inside, it was fall so I piled rakes leaves on the floor. The birds loved that. Its winter here and the ground is covered with snow. I have straw on the floor now. I rake it around and shovel out the piles of poop and add more straw.

I have pine shavings and straw in the nesting boxes. We farm, so straw is readily available.

 

[LynneP]

We have planks over concrete, topped with pine shavings. Very satisfied- we also use food-grade DE and a product called Stable Boy to control odors. We spot-clean rather than use the deep litter method.

Hay in nesting boxes with more added at this time of year to keep the hens snug and the eggs from freezing...