What is the best bedding for coops?

[amandarestes]

I live in Phoenix and it gets really hot here in the summer, would deep litter be an okay bedding or does it put off too much heat (like a compost pile would)?

 

[MeepBeep]

I live in Phoenix and it gets really hot here in the summer, would deep litter be an okay bedding or does it put off too much heat (like a compost pile would)? 

Deep litter is a cold compost and for all intents won't give off any significant amount of heat on hot days and even in 100° weather a cold compost like deep liter will likely never exceed 90° at the core, but on cool days it can give off some heat but only marginally above ambient temps...

 

[amandarestes]

Okay, that's really helpful. I noticed a comment in one of the other deep litter threads saying that it was not a good option for the desert climate because of the heat so that made me nervous.

 

[MeepBeep]

Okay, that's really helpful.  I noticed a comment in one of the other deep litter threads saying that it was not a good option for the desert climate because of the heat so that made me nervous.

You might have issues with the ambient temp and sun being 'too hot' especially if it's in the sun and not shaded... Compost needs water to work and if it's getting baked by the sun every day it very well could dry out and thus cease composting properly...

 

[mamatink7]

You might have issues with the ambient temp and sun being 'too hot' especially if it's in the sun and not shaded... Compost needs water to work and if it's getting baked by the sun every day it very well could dry out and thus cease composting properly...

good thinking...not sure it's good in every coop

 

[MeepBeep]

You might have issues with the ambient temp and sun being 'too hot' especially if it's in the sun and not shaded... Compost needs water to work and if it's getting baked by the sun every day it very well could dry out and thus cease composting properly...

good thinking...not sure it's good in every coop

The depth will also play a significant roll, in both extreme hot and extreme cold environments more depth will allow it to retain it's proper core temp/moisture and function...

I try to maintain at least 12" of depth in my coop especially during winter, and I know this works based on the fact it's generating heat in the winter an indicator of composting action...

You can see in this picture that at a depth of about 6" (cooking thermometer) it's about +10° over surface coop temp, outside temp was about 27° that day so the warmth of the deep litter was due to composting action...

 

[berettp]

Thank you for clearing that up I suspected as much. always learning thanks for the link

 

[pacorona]

My four hens are now one year old. I began by placing pine shavings in the coop for the chicks. As they grew, they outgrew the small coop we began with.

Built an A-frame coop/run and attached it to the smaller coop - perfect!! Except for the pine shavings and pine straw. We live in Louisiana and we have lots of rain, so the shavings were always a mess and really took a long time to rake up and turn over or replace.

Then I found a chicken lady on another website where I was taught just about everything I ever needed to know!! She recommended that I spread sand and do away with the other. It now takes me about 5 minutes to go out in the morning, check the food and water and let the chickens out to free-range in my back yard, AND clean up the poop!!

Placing a roost was the first great idea, with a piece of plywood under it to catch the droppings. Then, because I use sand over the plywood, it is a cinch to scoop up the mess and place in compost pile. I then rake or sweep a bit of sand from other spots over the place I just scooped - it is so easy to scoop that mess if it's on sand. I use a cat scoop.

About every three months or so, I buy 3 bags of builders' sand and respread over the floor. The sand allows the rain to wash the sand clean, and it drains so well that I don't worry about they're being in a wet coop for very long.

Believe me, the sand has made such a big difference in my upkeep - I don't have any problem at all taking care of them! (I'm 75 and this is my first flock!)

pat corona

 

[davel4wa]

FYI I read up that Pine shavings absorb the nitrogen from the chicken coop so it makes the poop less effective for composting i used my chicken this spring and found this to be true

 

[davel4wa]

If the nitrogen is absorbed by the wood shavings it doesn't disappear. Unless there is some chemical reaction with the nitrogen that results in another compound then the worst thing that would happen is a slower release of nitrogen from the wood shavings. That might be good but maybe not if you're looking for a fast and hot nitrogen fertilizer.