What's best?

[Chick1043]

Hi! I was wondering what's best to use in the hen house.. Straw, Alfalfa, bark, sand?? Does anyone have a preference of anything? Right now I'm using straw. Btw, something that doesn't cause moistness.. Thanks.

 

[bustermommy]

I think the two most popular are pine shavings (search deep litter method) and sand. I use pine shavings and like it very well.

 

[so lucky]

I use straw and like it just fine. Smells good and the chickens like to scratch through it and eat the seeds, etc. The old dirty straw and poop goes into the compost pile. I found pine shavings spilled out of the screened areas of the coop too easily.

 

[Chick1043]

Oh, okay! Thanks for your preferences!

 

[gritsar]

It's my understanding that straw, being a hollow stalk or stem, can encourage mites and molds (when it gets wet, as it will from droppings). I don't have experience with it, that's just my understanding.

I use pine shavings on the floor of the coops, hay in the nestboxes.

 

[Country Heart]

Can't go wrong with sand.