What would you recommend putting on the floor of your chicken coop?

[jatsma]

I am having a hard time deciding what i should put on the floor of my chicken coop. I am leaning towards construction sand, but it is going to be winter soon and i heard sand doesn't retain heat very well. Is construction sand even safe and worth it to use inside the coop? I am going to be using straw inside the nests, should i just use that through-out the whole coop until winter is over? or what would be the best thing to do?

thank you this is my first time having chickens.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally would use the straw, sand works but is cold and you have to scoop the poop. Straw you can just add more on top, or clean it, options.

 

[barneveldrerman]

I use shavings and it works for me. Straw also works. Sand will work but it gets cold!

hope this helped!

 

[aart]

I am having a hard time deciding what i should put on the floor of my chicken coop. I am leaning towards construction sand, but it is going to be winter soon and i heard sand doesn't retain heat very well. Is construction sand even safe and worth it to use inside the coop? I am going to be using straw inside the nests, should i just use that through-out the whole coop until winter is over? or what would be the best thing to do?

thank you this is my first time having chickens.

Welcome to BYC!

What is your climate?
Putting your location in your profile helps folks give better advice/answers.

I think dry pine shavings is the best bedding for the floor.......
......roost(poop) boards with a sand / PDZ mix work very well in keeping coop dry and odors down.

 

[jatsma]

I live in Canada, Saskatchewan. So the winters get pretty bad.

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. I think you will find your best answers at "Canadians check-in here." thread. Posters there have experience with the climate , type of coop that is best etc. Chantacleers were bred to handle the Canadian winters, they may be a breed you would consider.

 

[aart]

I live in Canada, Saskatchewan. So the winters get pretty bad.

I would not recommend sand then, it's likely to freeze solid as a rock...rendering any 'scoopability' a sad folly.
You want things to stay as dry as possible in the coop to avoid humidity and subsequent frostbite.

Sand/pdz still works ok in roost boards, but it can freeze.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use sand in my turkeys shed and winter is the best scooping season, it doesn't freeze, the poop does, so it scoops real easy, but my turkeys spend zero time in the shed during the day, so the coldness isn't a issue.