To straw, or not to straw?

[The cheek coop]

should I put straw on the floor of my coop during cold weather?

 

[Luv Ducks]

should I put straw on the floor of my coop during cold weather?

I have ducks and have heard that it can mold so I use pine large flake shavings on my areas in my pens where my ducks sleep at night. I too have wondered about the straw but was concerned about mold since ducks are so much into making messes and the snow over it.

 

[The cheek coop]

We is pine shavings also.

I have ducks and have heard that it can mold so I use pine large flake shavings on my areas in my pens where my ducks sleep at night. I too have wondered about the straw but was concerned about mold since ducks are so much into making messes and the snow over it.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I use bedding in all my coops. Straw is a mess when it gets wet.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Straw is no good for ducks (not absorbent enough for their wet poops), but for chickens it's good in a cold, dry climate. I like straw because it's easy to clean out with a pitchfork, soft on the chickens' feet, smells amazing, and the chickens love to scratch in it and eat the seeds. There is a risk of mold and bugs, so make sure the bales are dry, bright yellow, and smell good before you buy them and spread it loosely in a dry coop.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I currently have a mix of straw and pine shavings in my coop. I switched to the shavings during last year's mite infestation then after the mites were gone I added the straw on top for winter warmth and entertainment.

 

[AntiqueB]

I put straw in the covered run during winter because they like to scratch in it, but I hate it. It lasts a couple weeks before it's a clumpy mess and has to be raked out. I would never put it in the coop. I use pine shavings, but am being tempted by pellets and coffee grounds. . .

 

[StinkyAcres]

I put straw in the covered run during winter because they like to scratch in it, but I hate it. It lasts a couple weeks before it's a clumpy mess and has to be raked out. I would never put it in the coop. I use pine shavings, but am being tempted by pellets and coffee grounds. . .

It sounds like your run floor is too wet for straw and/or you put too much straw in at once and didn't spread it out enough.

 

[aart]

should I put straw on the floor of my coop during cold weather?

Is your coop raised up off the ground?
Please post pics of it, inside and out.

I'd not recommend straw, just add a deeper layer of the pine shavings.

 

[The cheek coop]

@aart
These are pictures of our coop while I was building it. As you can see it is raised off the ground. It is not pictured but we use the deep litter method. I’m not putting straw on the ground but I did put some in the “hen house” part of the coop for extra insulation. I plan on removing it as soon as this cold front is past. We’re in KY and we’re expecting temps to be 20 degrees Fahrenheit down to negative temperatures for the next couple of weeks.
I understand the chicken are cold tolerant but these are extreme temperatures for us so I’m just taking extra precautions.
Thanks