What type of bedding should I use?

[ChickenWolf126]

I am going to get chicks this spring. I know most of the things necessary to know to keep chickens,but I still have a few questions about the whole thing.:/ One of the questions I still have is what type of bedding I should use for the brooder. I guess this question will also lead on to what type of bedding I should use for the coop. What I am currently thinking about useing is Carefresh Paper Bedding. It is what I use for my guinea pigs.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Carefresh is probably fine though it will cost a lot more then other types of bedding. My own personal preference is plain old pine shavings. My chicks are always raised on large flake pine shavings, right from day one. Shavings are also fine for the coop. They keep things dry, can be bought in large bales that are not expensive and are easy to clean up.

 

[ChickenWolf126]

Thank you for your reply. Do you know if they sell pine shavings in a store called Rural King.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I'm not familiar with Rural Kind, don't have them around here, but pretty much any decent feed store will carry bales of shavings, including Tractor Supply.

 

[ChickenWolf126]

Okay. Thank you once again for your reply.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Carefresh is probably fine though it will cost a lot more then other types of bedding. My own personal preference is plain old pine shavings. My chicks are always raised on large flake pine shavings, right from day one. Shavings are also fine for the coop. They keep things dry, can be bought in large bales that are not expensive and are easy to clean up.

x2

 

[AmyLynn2374]

By the way it looks they carry the small bags: http://search.ruralking.com/search?p=Q&asug=&w=pine+bedding , but if you have a tractor supply or other feed/farm store that sells the big cubes 8 cubic feet or more, I'd recommend that as it's a lot cheaper that way.

 

[ChickenWolf126]

Thank you AmyLynn2374.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank you AmyLynn2374.

You are welcome.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I use hay in my brooders and coops, because I have quite a few of them (3 coops and 4 brooders) and the hay is cheap. I'd spend a fortune if I had to buy shavings! But, when I had just one brooder and one coop, I used pine shavings. Others use sand or wood pellets, its more a matter of personal preference.

Good luck!