What to put in the coop? sand? sweet pdz? pine shavings?

[chicksbunsdog]

We're new to the chicken world and are just finishing up construction of the coop so now I'm starting to think about the things we're going to need once the chickens arrive. I can't seem to figure out what to put on the floor of the coop. Everyone seems to like different things.

At first I was going to go with the deep litter method and use pine shavings but alot of people seem to like sand. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to use sweet pdz (if I can find some) on the droppings board but now I'm wondering if I should just cover the entire floor of the coop in it - or is it too expensive to do that? (our coop is 4'x6' and we'll have 5 hens) I have no idea how much PDZ costs. And I guess I'm supposed to sprinkle food grade DE all over the coop to help prevent mites, lice, etc? How often am I supposed to do that?

How much does weather play a part in what you use in your coop? We live in CT and the winters can get cold but usually not bitter cold.

Planning to start with just a grass/dirt run and then add sand to the run once the grass is gone.

Very confusing. Any advice is appreciated and all opinions are welcome. Thanks for your input.

 

[buttercup hill]

It's basically personal preference and what works best for you. Don't be afraid to experiment to see what works best for you.

I buy Sweet PDZ at Tractor Supply. It costs $9.99 for a 25 lb. bag in my area. I'm currently using pine shavings on top of a sprinkle of DE and PDZ and like it a lot. Virtually no poop smell at all. The only thing I don't like about it is it blows around easily and litters my yard when I open the coop door (I live in a windy area). I'd like to try Lucerne Farms ground cover after reading a thread posted here about it. I think it would stay in place better and not as visible if some blows out onto my lawn. My TS store said they'd try to get it in for me so I can try it.

My coop is 8x8 and the floor is made of reclaimed plywood, so I worry about the weight of a sand floor and I'm thinking in freezing weather it would get hard as a rock and not supply much warmth?

There is also a great thread on this site about grazing frames for the run. Mine is completely barren and I think this is a great idea and will be implementing it soon. You might want to check that out prior to sanding your whole run?

 

[janinepeters]

I like pine shavings, because it absorbs moisture and is quite soft. Both the dryness and softness are great for protecting their feet from bumblefoot. Lots of people use DE in the coop and/or nestboxes, but I didn't like it, because it mad the coop too dusty. Keeping the nestboxes clean seems to prevent mites, for the most part. If I were to use DE again, I think I would put it only where they dust bathe.

I live in Mass., so similar climate as yours, thought I don't think it really played a role in what I chose for litter.

In one run I spread hay, and change it frequently because the poop does matt up in it. I use it because the birds seem to like to forage for weed seeds in it. In the other run I have pine shavings.

I've seen that some people really like sand, and I've never tried it, but I don't think I would like its properties. It drains water well, but it doesn' t draw moisture from poop the way shavings do. It's also not as soft on their feet. In the threads I've read on bumblefoot, it seems like people who have recurrent problems with that, are more likely to have their birds on gravel (yikes!), sand, or just compacted bare dirt, so I plan to avoid those options.

 

[chicksbunsdog]

Thanks so much for the input. I didn't even think about bumblefoot. I guess it will be a lot of experimentation. The grazing frame in the run sounds like a good idea but I may wait and add that down the line, maybe in the spring? Also, if I do sand in the run, I can always throw hay in on top of that as we have it anyway for the bunnies.
People seem to really like the PDZ and I read that it comes in both granular and powder form so maybe the granular form wouldn't make it so dusty? I'm going to try using that on the poop boards and maybe go with the pine shavings on the rest of the floor of the coop and in the nesting boxes and see how that works.

 

[janinepeters]

Also, if I do sand in the run, I can always throw hay in on top of that as we have it anyway for the bunnies.

So are you going to house your buns and chx together? I have bunnies too, but give them separate housing, because they kept eating the chicken feed, which I'm sure is not balanced for them. I do let them free range together though.

 

[mickey328]

We use straw bedding and mix the sweet PDZ in...it's amazing how it keeps the odor down! We started with about 3 inches and when the top gets icky, we throw another inch or so in along with some more PDZ and a bit of DE. When the bedding gets too soiled, we scrape it out and compost it, then start all over again. So far, it works great!

We'd also given thought to sand as well, but our coop is movable...and wouldn't be if it were filled with sand LOL

 

[chicksbunsdog]

So are you going to house your buns and chx together? I have bunnies too, but give them separate housing, because they kept eating the chicken feed, which I'm sure is not balanced for them. I do let them free range together though.

No, we wouldn't put them together. The bunnies live in a hutch on the back porch and we sometimes let them hop around in a small fenced area in the yard, but not in the chicken run. I won't be able to let my chickens free range because we have way to many cats roaming around, not to mention the occassional fox and coyote. My neighbors dog also makes an occassional appearance as well.

How are the pine shavings in the run? Our run won't be covered (other than hardware cloth) and I would think it would get very sticky and kind of gross when it rains. I never considered putting it in the run.

 

[DMoody]

My TS won't get the Lucerne product for me. Don't understand why????

 

[chicksbunsdog]

My TS won't get the Lucerne product for me. Don't understand why????

As a newbie, it took me awhile and a bit of googling to figure out your post. Do they give you a reason when you ask them why?

 

[downsm75]

I use sand because it keeps from mudding up. It also is a grit and I find my chickens dusting in it all the time. It's a natural exfoliant so it keeps their feet in shape. I use very little chick grit because of it and only change it twice a year (spring and fall). When I shovel it out, I'm going to put it in my veggie garden area to till into the ground. It helps you dirt loosen and free fertilizer