What bedding do you use? & what are your reasons for it.

[PNW_Peepers]

Hi all,
Wondering what types of bedding you all use and why? I’m building an A frame tractor coop and need a lightweight option that preferably I don’t have to clean completely out weekly.

 

[OlympicChick]

I just started deep litter.
Why: I am the type of person who is more apt to do more work up front in order to have it easier for most of the rest of the time. Deep litter only requires a 6 month or a 1 year clean out (but not all should be removed). And I will get compost for my garden from it. Seems to kill 3 birds with one stone, imo: Reduced odor, usable compost and little maintenance.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use wood chips in the coop and deep litter in run because it's free, relatively low maintenance (clean out maybe 2x a year, and coop bedding goes straight into the run), provides the drainage I need in the run, and produces compost for the garden.

 

[BGcoop]

 

[OlympicChick]

I'm amending to say kills 4 birds with one stone: forgot about free, like @rosemarythyme said.

 

[FlyWheel]

Deep litter may bet a bit heavy for tractor use, since it effectively turns into dirt.

I use Coop Klean, which is basically short cut hay with powdered zeolite (SweetPDZ) added for ammonia control.

 

[llombardo]

I highly recommended flax bedding. It's super light, super soft, super absorbent, 100% dust free, easy to clean. Love it

https://www.flaxfarm.ca

 

[wobit]

DLM, for two deeply different reasons. 1) I'm lazy and interested in doing infrequent, heavy work in order to be able to do the work at my convenience. Doing weekly turning of the litter and annual raking out with removal of 80% biomass works for me. 2) The idea of promoting and working with tuning an active living biome of the litter that is complex and healthy, makes sense to me. And there's lots of evidence to support it.

Therefore, in sum, I put 6+ inches of pine shavings inside the (well ventilated) coop and rake it up every once in a while to keep it dry. In the (very large and much less managed) run, we put all manner of interesting carbon including sticks, old wood chips, old leaves, some compost. The birds are encourage to scratch around and turn everything. It has worked well for 4 years and provided good compost for my husband's garden.

 

[Melky]

I use pine mulch bedding in my coop and pine mulch in run that is garden mulch plus dry leaves. The chicks turn and mulch leaves for me and makes great compost in the garden. I put down Manna Pro odor eliminator (zeolite) to reduce ammonia. I provide good ventilation and provide frequent clean dry bedding. I do not do deep litter method as not recommended due to ammonia toxicity risks particularly in winter. Peat is best for removing ammonia from litter so consider peat in bedding. I may use once current bedding in run reduces.

 

[Beer can]

With a tractor you shouldn't need any bedding. You move it as they beat down the ground.
I use deep litter in my big coop.
Small coop/semi tractor it's a 4x8' coop with 14x50' run, semi movable. If I'm moving it occasionally I don't put any bedding in it, if it's been awhile between moves I'll add a layer of free dry tree leaves inside the coop part.