What is the best bedding to use in coop?

[Hokum Coco]

So i was curious as to what others use and what would be more absorbent and help keep down on smell.

I have gone with no bedding. A wire 2" grid (wire the size of a pencil) over my coop floor. Similar to what is pictured below with 4"x4"x4" cubed blocks stationed under neath the grid on top of a tarp to form a drop pit it worked excellent all summer and I will clean the coop before winter sets in and things freeze solid. The grid even keeps your chickens feet cleaner which in turn keeps your eggs and nest boxes less soiled. I live in Canada and am subject to -40º temperatures.

Clean up is simple replace the tarp with a second one. Spread the first tarp out in the sun to bake and dry. Then flex the first tarp over the compost bin and hose off any stubborn chicken poop.


I have 68 trips around the sun for decades I have been raising chickens
For years I have been lining my nest boxes with the folded empty nylon mesh feed bags.
When a bag gets soiled pop out the soiled and pop in another. Poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off when left out in the sun to bake and dry. It is the best method I have stumbled upon in my 68 trips around the sun.

Oh! Remove the excess string from the open end of the bag it can get tangled in your birds legs and wings.
Easy Peasy Japaneasy.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I use low dust pine shavings and clean it out weekly. Ive never had an issue with odor. Im switching to the dlm for the winter months but during the spring summer and fall the humidity can make it quite stinky if not cleaned regularly.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I have gone with no bedding. A wire 2" grid (wire the size of a pencil) over my coop floor. Similar to what is pictured below with 4"x4"x4" cubed blocks stationed under neath the grid on top of a tarp to form a drop pit it worked excellent all summer and I will clean the coop before winter sets in and things freeze solid. The grid even keeps you chickens feet cleaner which in turn keeps your eggs and nest boxes less soiled. I live in Canada and am subject to -40º temperatures.

Clean up is simple replace the tarp with a second one. Spread the first tarp out in the sun to bake and dry. Then flex the first tarp over the compost bin and hose off any stubborn chicken poop.


I have 68 trips around the sun for decades I have been raising chickens
For years I have been lining my nest boxes with the folded empty nylon mesh feed bags.
When a bag gets soiled pop out the soiled and pop in another. Poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off when left out in the sun to bake and dry. It is the best method I have stumbled upon in my 68 trips around the sun.

Oh! Remove the excess string from the open end of the bag it can get tangled in your birds legs and wings.
Easy Peasy Japaneasy.

I wish i had thought about this when we were constructing the coop. Im afraid its too late now.

 

[Klomax22]

Thank you everyone. Im gonna try and do something today. We wre unable to do the wire floor as to the reason that its a woode. Floor but were gonna try shavings maybe or putting new dry sand in with a deeper bed and better cleaning system. I dont want my gorls to sick so were gonna figure out something most of the issue is honestly under their roost. So i may go back to the tarp and cleaning more frequently. I appreciate all the help. Im new to this so im always asking for help. Thanks again.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

I use a mat system (hammock I think it is called) that I can wash off daily if needed. And, we use sand with coop refresher mixed in - like a sweet pdz. It is easy to clean, but isn't a monthly clean like the deep litter, it is more of a weekly kinda pick up

 

[Ghosty]

I use deep pine shavings in the coop and sand in the run. I don't clean any poop. I just rake the shavings over and let everything dry up and break down. I throw sand over the poop under the roosts in the run. Everything breaks down nicely. Most of the birds roost in the run right now, and the rain helps clean the sand in the run. My birds free range all day, so even though I have 30 birds, the coop stays pretty clean.

 

[aart]

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.



@Klomax22 ....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[fatmomolive]

I use straw/mulch/dirt mix. You should try it out!

What kind of mulch do you use? When I let the girls out to roam they are always burying themselves in the flower garden mulch

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

Sort of like compost mixed with wood shavings.