What is best to use

[Tmcfarland]

My husband & I are about moved & have been working on getting the coop finished. I was wondering what you guys use for the bottom of the coop such as wood chips, shavings, straw, etc & what you found works best. Thanks!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I use deep bedding in my raised coop, deep litter elsewhere. I have clay-y sand or sand-y clay soils and lots of rainfall. Also, I'm surrounded by woods (free deep bedding/litter source).

The best solution for you depends on your environment, your management, and your system. Deep litter essentially doesn't work in a raised coop design. If you live in a desert-like environment, counting on a ready source of "brown" plant material (dried leaves, etc) isn't practical. If you have a tiny raised coop and a small flock of only a couple birds in an arid environment, poop boards and some floor vinyl and a scraper may be all you need...

 

[3KillerBs]

There is no best, only a best for you.

Here is my article on Deep Bedding (which is not the same as Deep Litter). https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

My personal preference is a mix of materials because I think that a mix is better at resisting packing and matting.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree that "best" will vary with each set up, location, materials available, etc. To me best = cost efficient, so I use wood chips (free) that get added to the run litter once they're spent, and hemp under the roost (rather costly, but don't need much) so I can easily scoop out poops for composting/cleaning.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I use pine shavings in my coop and deep litter in my run. I sweep out the shavings into the run once a week.

But I suggest trying something others in your area have tried, see how it works for you, and adjust as needed. There are so many ways folks manage their setups. You'll get as many opinions as people who chime in.

Let us know what you end up doing!

 

[aart]

Yep, best for others might not be best for you.

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.
- Large flake 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' in 8 years.