What to use in the henhouse and run

jrhy

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I have been researching and reading up on chicken knowledge, somewhere I thought I read that Cedar chips were toxic to chicks? So I made sure I bought pine chips, but recently I read that someone was using cedar chips under hay for her hens because it helped keep down on the smell. My questions are... is cedar toxic to chicks only or not at all? What is the best bedding to use for my hens when they are in the coop? I was going to continue using the pine chips on the henhouse floor and chopped hay in the nesting boxes. Or should I put a mixture of pine chips and chopped hay on the henhouse floor. I also heard you should put chips or hay in the run to keep it dry, is this true? Also chopped hay... do you buy it chopped or do you buy a bail of hay and chop it? Sorry so many questions but I know although I research and read you all will give the best answers from experience. Thank you Jrhy.
 
I have been researching and reading up on chicken knowledge, somewhere I thought I read that Cedar chips were toxic to chicks? So I made sure I bought pine chips, but recently I read that someone was using cedar chips under hay for her hens because it helped keep down on the smell. My questions are... is cedar toxic to chicks only or not at all? What is the best bedding to use for my hens when they are in the coop? I was going to continue using the pine chips on the henhouse floor and chopped hay in the nesting boxes. Or should I put a mixture of pine chips and chopped hay on the henhouse floor. I also heard you should put chips or hay in the run to keep it dry, is this true? Also chopped hay... do you buy it chopped or do you buy a bail of hay and chop it? Sorry so many questions but I know although I research and read you all will give the best answers from experience. Thank you Jrhy.

Cedar chips can have a strong aroma. Don't use them in the coop. Probably OK in the run since there is plenty of open air but pine chips are better. A deep layer of pine chips in the coop work great as a bedding to keep things dry as well as in the nesting boxes. I tend to use hay in my nesting boxes since the birds do not mess in the boxes and a hay nest stays put. They tend to kick out the pine chips. The run can be pine chips or hay if you wish. Chopped up hay would be better since it would be easier to rake and remove. I typically just add a bale of hay unchopped every now and then to keep the run built up high enough to drain well during big rains.

 
Thank you! This was very helpful and I love the photo! Wish I could have a great big area for lots of hens too. I am living in the suburbs in a neighborhood setting and plan on letting my girls roam freely in our fenced in yard. I planned only to have them in the run on days we won't be home. What do you recommend in the case of bad weather? I planned to leave them locked up in their covered run with open access to their henhouse or should they be allowed to continue to roam freely in the yard and decide for themselves if they would rather be in their covered run or henhouse? Thank you again! Jrhy
 
As long as they can get back into the run/coop area for weather protection when they want, you can just let them out no matter the weather. As long as it's not a torrent mine don't seem to mind the rain even in the cold, but they still have a covered area when they want it as well as access to their coop.

Remember, they are birds and you'll see birds out in all kinds of weather.
 
You're absolutely right! That's pretty much what I thought but just wanted to make sure. Wouldn't want anything bad to happened to my girls because I was uninformed! Thank you!!
 

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