What's Everyone's Favorite Bedding?

[lauranickerson]

Just curious to see what everyone else does for their own coop!

I currently use pine shavings, but I'm thinking about switching to sand tomorrow since I have to clean it out anyways.

Post your favorite bedding and maybe a picture of your coops here!

 

[ray24]

Just curious to see what everyone else does for their own coop!

I currently use pine shavings, but I'm thinking about switching to sand tomorrow since I have to clean it out anyways.

Post your favorite bedding and maybe a picture of your coops here!

In my chickens run, I purchased all different colored pebbles.

 

[lauranickerson]

In my chickens run, I purchased all different colored pebbles.

Wow, that probably looks awesome! I thought about making a level square frame and filling with pebbles for me to set my duck pool on. Never thought about doing the whole thing! How do you clean it? Or just hose it off and it all seeps through?

 

[Hokum Coco]

Duplicate

 

[lauranickerson]

I have a mix of different bedding's. The main ingredient at present is wood pellets in the coop. However now it resembles sawdust.

It is adequate. It has been in there since October 2012 it is 4 to 6 inches deep. No ordours or ammonia smell so it is good until I get notice.

I have my chicken run covered in grass clippings. The original grass has been dead since last summer. I plan to plant vegetable vines in that area once our rain stops and I move the set up. Chicken coop is the metal building on the left
.

Yeah, our chicken run is totally barren now, too. And we just got our chickens in March! There were seriously 7in wide trees growing in there from being fertilized so well from the chickens we had in the early 2000's. But alas, barren once again. Haha.

 

[lauranickerson]

Anyone else? I would love to hear everyone's set up!

 

[wsmith]

LOL. look up my Windy Ridge FB page for lots of photos....

We use whatever is cheap and currently available for bedding. Old hay, straw, wood chips, dry raked up leaves, whatever. We also only clean the main coop out about every 6 months. We don't use sand. Sand doesn't make good composting materials.

 

[BillysFlock]

I use chipped/ shredded hay, I just got an awesome deal on 24 bails of hay for FREE!!!! So that is what I use, I pre-shred it to make composting easier when it's time to clean it. They chickens love to scratch through it as well. I don't use anything for there run as it is 30`x40` We don't have a mud problem here as we live in the sand plains so we have excellent drainage. I have my clean out door right next to the compost bins and this should make clean out time a breeze.

 

[lauranickerson]

Wow! 24 bails for free! That's amazing! I would use hay if it was free, for sure! I have about 10 bails laying around the coop, but it's all basically ruined because they were uncovered outside through winter and all the rain. Recently I've been putting a few of the drier chunks into the run every week or so..maybe even more often. They love scratching through it, and I think it keeps the smell down a little (it doesn't ever really smell that bad, and I think that's why). By the end of the week, its basically all shredded (the ducks do a pretty good job of that) and I rake it up into the wheelbarrow. I get a full barrow load, which is going to be great for compost. When I use pine shavings in the coop, I get two barrow-fulls from that. It's been too much to put in my current sized compost so it's just been collecting in a big pile, so I could probably just get away with the run material for compost.

 

[BillysFlock]

Well I would have taken more, a farmer was giving it away for free to make room for this years cutting. If only I had a place to store it

right now it's taking up to much room in my garage can't get anything out lol.