What type of bedding for coop?

[Leisa1968]

I am still VERY NEW at this! But I did get my chicks outside FINALLY! But have to admit I am still heating them a little bit

I was wondering? What type of bedding is best for a coop? I have the coop attatched to a run. Do you only put bedding in the NESTING BOXES? The WHOLE COOP HOUSE? Or do you ALSO put it in the RUN? I'm still learning and it gets down in the lower thirties already here. THANKS FOR THE ADVISE! I really need it!!!

 

[SteveBaz]

Everyone does it a bit different but when it comes to the coop floor and the sleeper I use The Deep Litter Method with wood shavings;

Here is the brooder

Here is the coop

I use all the wasted dirty (poop free) shavings for out in the run. Good luck

 

[PetRock]

I use pine shavings in the nest boxes and on the coop floor. My coop floor is linoleum and I have poop boards under the roosts with a layer of shavings and DE on them. I clean the poop boards off twice a week and put a new layer of shavings with DE on them. I rake out any big poops on the floor of the coop at the same time and add more pine shavings/DE. I guess it is kind of a modified deep litter method because I only clean the whole coop out 2 or 3 times a year. I use sand on the floor of the run. My flock free ranges on my 1/3 acre yard so I rarely need to rake out the sand in the run. They used to be confined to the run for longer periods of time and then I raked the sand once a week. We have a composter and compost pile close to the run and coop that all the droppings and pine shavings go into. That poop is worth as much as the eggs that we get from our birds! Our tomato plants were 6 feet tall this year and are still producing lots of tomatoes!

 

[Leisa1968]

Thank you! I will definately use the pine shavings. I was using straw but I also have pine shavings from when they were inside in the brooder. Pine shavings seem like they would be much warmer and more comfortable

 

[JerseyFresh]

Most don't put shavings in the run as it makes an awful stinky mess. But if it's covered then it might not matter as much. I've never had a covered run so I couldn't really say.
Personally, I use the deep litter method and use pine shavings in the coop and nesting boxes. My run is huge, doesn't hold or puddle water, and is covered in grass clippings, leaves and just the dirt.

Good luck with everything. Chickens are pretty easy to care for and I think they are pretty forgiving on most mistakes.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I usually use shavings for brooder and coop, straw for my nesting boxes. Stopped using hay to keep grass seed out of compost bin and garden. I cleaned the coop earlier this week forgetting we were out of pine shavings so ended up using straw for nests and coop. It took them a few days of me destroying their newly made nest in coop corner before laying in the nest box again.

Like JerseyFresh said, they are easy to tend and forgiving. Whatever you use it should work to absorb/mix in waste and provide insulation on floor of coop. I'm partial to pine chips because their cheap in bulk 3-4 cubic ft bales ($6 bale lasts me a year) and easy to shovel top layer of waste for partial cleaning.

 

[AlienChick]

I use a deep litter of shavings inside the coop.

I also bag up the dried grass clippings when we cut our grass and use it inside the coop.
It cuts down on the cost of buying shavings.

We have a lot of trees on our property, so I shovel the fallen leaves into the run.

The chickens LOVE scratching thru it!

 

[boogiedog]

Deep-litter pine shavings in coop. I compost directly into the run, and they love scratching through it. First year I tried straw in the run - big no-no. Gets very slick when wet and turns into a smelly, black, slimy mess. I have found the shavings break down quickly into the dirt in the run. No smell.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I use construction sand in the manure box under the roost so I can scoop it daily with a cat litter scoop. I use pine shavings on the coop floor and pick out the big pieces of poop that show. I use straw in the nest boxes (I'll look more closely at this later as we aren't at the point of laying yet). I used play sand in the run and it's great because I just rake it occassionally with a kids rake and the poop disappears

I'll switch to construction sand in the run once I run out of playsand from my children's sandbox.

 

[SelenaLuvChicks]

so i put dirt or that other stuff?