What is better for bedding?

[toadbriar]

when we're not under a mess of snow, I like throwing pine needles in there.

 

[StevenW.]

Pine Shavings, Straw, and Hay.

Depends on what the weather is outside. I like to give them straw and hay so they can snuggle in it when its cold out then have shavings on the bottom.
When its hotter outside they just have pine shavings.

 

[newbyduckmom]

Using Maple leaves right now because they are falling all over my yard! Have tried pine shavings but had trouble with a bad batch (smelled moldy straight out of the bag). Also, straw. Have livestock mats over the hardware cloth floor. The leaves are working okay for now, but would prefer straw if it wasn't so expensive in winter. (I have no place to store it, so get a bale at a time).

 

[Gyoza]

I'm using straw and newspaper as underlay.

I have to change the bedding material twice a day. Otherwise the smell is just.... TOO much to handle...

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
You change your bedding 2x per day? Thats A LOT, I think I might just get out of the hobby if I had to do that

 

[mandelyn]

Just pine shavings here. They flatten it out with their feet, so the poo dries into a pancake. Using my handy-dandy kitty scooper I can scrape those poo patties right off the top and into a bucket, stir the remaining bedding with a rake and spread it back out again, and add fresh as needed. I don't add any bedding but for twice a week. It's not deep either, maybe 4 inches?

Since the water is controlled with the drinking station, the bedding stays dry and I can grab poo only. Between the ducks and chickens, I empty out half of a 5 gallon bucket worth of poo/bedding per day. I scoop the chicken run, their house, and the duck house. The duck run gets hosed off... until winter, when I switch to pine straw thrown down. Fresh will be added daily and cleaned out as needed. First winter with ducks... we'll see how that goes.

The bedding in the coop though.... I have that down to a science now of easy daily cleaning and minimal waste. I hate throwing away large amounts of bedding! Even if it is to the compost pile... it builds up too fast and the yard isn't large enough to make a new pile elsewhere.

 

[Amiga]

By the way, I found oak leaves reduce the aroma in the pen area that gets wet.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

m.kitchengirl :

I have struggled with this all along. I switched from shavings to hay (found out I am EXTREMELY allergic to hay

) switched to the chunkier pine shavings. I have switched back to hay again.

I think it is really personal.
I can only speak for myself, but those pine shavings drive me BONKERS

. They get everywhere. No matter what I do.
Not copious amounts mind, but there are STRAYS, stragglers. No matter how careful I am.
It makes me want to sit there, right next to the Quack Shack, and pick them up from around the door.

.

So, I may get hives and itchy eyes, and have some trouble breathing when I handle hay, but I prefer it to those darn shavings.

I can rake the icky parts out each day & right into the garden, or compost, after some "airing out" time.
It doesn't leave a trail, or a flake. It goes where it belongs.

Like I said, I think it is a matter of personal preference. I acknowledge that my "logic" is flawed on this subject.

X2 I use straw though... My ancona hen likes to make my life hard though... She likes to play with it though! She grab some in her mouth and runs away, and scratches it all out nomatter what I do to stop her! Then I have to kick it back in all the time! Shes insane! But I love those cute little nests she builds when she lays a egg

I deal with it though... if they could go without it I wouldnt put any in, but thqt is cruel to not put straw in to cuddle up to...​

 

[Gyoza]

Quote:
You change your bedding 2x per day? Thats A LOT, I think I might just get out of the hobby if I had to do that

Yah they are reminding me the days when my kids were still babies.

So tempting to put diapers on them.

 

[TLWR]

I have only used what I can rake up in the yard and the left over bundle of pine straw we had.
But the yard is mostly pine straw and in the later fall/winter, it is pine straw and oak leaves.

I raked up a few large totes of pine straw a couple weeks ago and have it out behind the shed and a smaller bin near the duck house so I can add a fresh bunch each morning. I change it out on the weekend and hose out their duck house.