What's good cheap bedding for a 16ftx8ft coop (shed)???

[emartin]

What is a good, cheap bedding material to sit on top of vinyl flooring we installed (basically linoleum, just different material) for a shed that is 16ft long and 8ft wide? Currently we are using pine shavings and it takes a lot of it to cover the entire floor....

Thanks,
~Ed

 

[mediazeal]

I find it takes about 3 or 4 bales of the pine shavings
but I'm doing the deep litter method and don't plan on changing that out except twice a year so it's not too expensive.

you can use dirt if you want but you will need to change it out alot more often.

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

Straw? It would be cheap, and you could get alot of it.

 

[GardeNerd]

I have an older neighbor that used to keep chickens in the 70's and 1980's. He said to save money he used grass clippings. He let them dry out a day or so and then added them. He added more each time he mowed and removed every three or four months. He said it worked well for him. I don't personally know how well it works since I have yet to try it, but I am thinking about it when I run out of shavings.

 

[emartin]

Quote:
That sounds like a good idea, all I'd have to do is after drying out the clippings is to add DE underneath it...

 

[USMCSGT]

I have a friend that has a cabinet shop, and I bring him empty barrels and he fills them up with his shavings from making the doors. They have to get rid of it, so most of the time they just burn it. I will bring him eggs when I need some, most of the time enough for his crew also. Most of time it is hard wood shavings. It is well worth the the few dozen eggs I bring him.

 

[redoak]

I use dried grass clippings in the late spring, summer and early fall. I make sure the clippings dry for at least a day before I sweep them up and I don't include any thick clumps. In the fall I use dried leaves. Again I make sure I don't get any wet clumps.

 

[newchickmom]

That's the same size I have and I use 3-4 bags pine shavings. (Buy at the farm store, pet store is too expensive)

 

[patandchickens]

It may take 3 or so bags of shavings to bed the coop in the first place, but you needn't be putting much in on an ongoing basis if you manage the coop with that sort of thing in mind.

In partiuclar, a droppings board under the roosts, with poo removed every morning (takes LITERALLY, I do mean literally, 10 seconds with a dustpan and bucket), will about halve the input of poo onto the bedding.

I have a 7x20 pen (sometimes divided) that takes 3-4 bags to bed in the first place, but I've put only 2 bags of shavings into it in the past year. Mind, I do have fewer chickens in there than most people, but still.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat