What kind of bedding are using?

[Chixme]

I have 2 chickens that are 6 month old. They are starting to get smelly. I’m concerned about the smell when summer comes. I live in a regular neighborhood so I want to make sure my neighbors can’t smell them. I clean the coop once a week. I am currently using straw in the nesting area. Their little yard area is dirt, they ate all the grass. What kind of bedding is everyone using?

 

[DiYMama540]

Welcome to BYC!
I like to mix PDZ with pine shavings on the inside of the coop, then in the run there's a little bit of everything. Pine needles, straw, sticks, old coop bedding.
Search our site for Deep Litter Method.

 

[ColoradoPip]

I prefer the pine flakes from TSC (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...co-flake-premium-pine-shavings-covers-8-cu-ft) for small coops

Easy to clean, not as dusty as shavings, and isn't too expensive. Mine did not stink if cleaned weekly/bi-weekly with 3-4 chickens.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

I use medium pine shavings from Rural King. I add organic matter (pine straw, hay, etc) every 7-10 days to the coop and only clean it once every 6 months. I have on occasion sprinkled some PDZ around inside the coop, but usually I reserve that for the poop board.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Inside the coop is a mix of straw and pine shavings and saw dust. I put straw on the main floor and the sawdust and wood chips in the nesting boxes. They tended to clear all of the bedding out of the nesting boxes and i would find eggs with cracked ends from "the drop." The saw dust (mainly planer shavings from my shop) is more difficult for them to kick out and problem solved.
My adults free range but in the juvenile (2-4mo old) run, I use the deep litter method i guess with whatever i have on hand. Sometimes straw, pine straw, bark and coarse wood chips from the log splitter, leaves, etc.
We cycle through birds twice a year snd rarely keep any more than 10 months before butchering. In the time between hatchings and once the pullets are old enough to free range eith the adults, i seed the empty run (8ft x 32') with clover and rye grain. It germinates well and by the time the next batch of pullets leave the brooder for the run its a great food source. Depending on the number of birds depends on the longevity of the plants.

 

[aart]

I have 2 chickens that are 6 month old. They are starting to get smelly. I’m concerned about the smell when summer comes. I live in a regular neighborhood so I want to make sure my neighbors can’t smell them. I clean the coop once a week. I am currently using straw in the nesting area. Their little yard area is dirt, they ate all the grass. What kind of bedding is everyone using?

Pics of your coop and run...and your general geographic location would help here.


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.

-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 5 years.

 

[Chixme]

I have 2 chickens that are 6 month old. They are starting to get smelly. I’m concerned about the smell when summer comes. I live in a regular neighborhood so I want to make sure my neighbors can’t smell them. I clean the coop once a week. I am currently using straw in the nesting area. Their little yard area is dirt, they ate all the grass. What kind of bedding is everyone using?

Update: Thank you everyone for your advise. I had to move them to a different part of the yard for a little while. We need to have a new fence put in between us and our neighbor. Mean while I planted some grass seed in the girls yard so when I move them back it will be nice for them.

 

[BDutch]

All great answers. Everyone makes different choices. I use a lot what is available from the garden.

I put sand on the coop floor and they barely mess it up. The sand is a mix of playground sand and clay from the garden. I clean this area only once a month. Under the roosts I have card board with a little sand and wood shavings or whatever is available to compost. Weekly cleaning by shaking what’s on the cardboard it in the compost container and make a new layer. The cardboard can be used a few times before its too dirty yo reuse. Have lots of ventilation to keep the coop dry.

In the nest boxes I have a layer of sand on the bottom and mix of shavings and hay or moss from the lawn.

The run is soil and I put grass clippings and other greens in it to eat from and for compost. Put lots of leaves in it in autumn (good for the health of the soil). Water the soil if its dry so the chickens can scratch (I have clay, this gets too hard too scratch in otherwise).

I have a square with beams and hwc on top. This is filled with weed and grasses. This keeps on growing because they cant scratch in it.

Edit:spelling

 

[Chixme]

Update: Thank you everyone for your advise. I had to move them to a different part of the yard for a little while. We need to have a new fence put in between us and our neighbor. Mean while I planted some grass seed in the girls yard so when I move them back it will be nice for them.

update to the update: The girls are back in their corner of the yard now for a few months.
I have learned the key is keeping the ground dry. We also throw the lawn clippings in their run and some wood chips every once in while.

 

[Ponypoor]

update to the update: The girls are back in their corner of the yard now for a few months.
I have learned the key is keeping the ground dry. We also throw the lawn clippings in their run and some wood chips every once in while.

You are correct - keeping things dry helps control odours, flies and keeps livestock healthy. I have 10 beasties 9 weeks and 19 weeks.

I personally use wood shavings (same as I use with the horses) and I 'pick' out the Hen House a few times a week. My kiddos are spoilt for space, they have the whole barn during the day (30x60 10 stall barn) and a fenced in area about 15' x 50' which is grassy. The critter-kids only go into the Hen House at night so easy to clean.

I do not use old lawn clippings, or shavings outside, this would only get mucky and muddy when it rains. Keep it dry, remove manure frequently and you won't have odour, or flies and the kiddos will be happy and healthy.