Bedding Choices
The purpose of bedding is to make things less…poopy! You don’t want your chickens walking on droppings with no way to clean their feet. The build up will cause ammonia burns, bumble foot, and respiratory issues among other things. Having something on the ground that absorbs or sticks to the droppings is the best way to keep things sanitary for your flock.
There are so many types of beddings. I have tried many things over the years and I am going to share with your my two favorites and why I love them. I’ll share a helpful bedding comparison resource at the end. I use two different substrates: one for my coop and one for my chicken run.
Coop Bedding
In my coop I have tried straw, sand, and pine shavings. None of them gave me what I was looking for. Straw was too heavy to remove once soiled and it didn’t absorb anything. The chickens laid eggs in it instead of their nest boxes and it was too dusty. When I used pine shavings, I came across many of the same issues. Sand was my favorite of the three but it was incredibly dusty, The chickens always had dirty nostrils and I was seeing more respiratory issues. I came across hemp bedding and I did like it but it still wasn’t perfect….UNTIL Eaton Pet and Pasture sent me a few bags to try. I am not sure what magic they use when cutting the hemp but it is the perfect consistency. It is soft to the touch, not dusty at all, super absorbent, mold resistant, eco friendly, and very light to shovel out when needed. The best part is that is it grown naturally (and sustainably) and chemical free. All the things I want in a bedding.
I use the “shit shelf” method so there is a shelf under my roosting bars. In the morning I scrape it clean. Because the coop floor stays clean, this 2 minute job makes the coop smell fresh and clean again! More on this coming soon!
Eaton Pet and Pasture and I have partnered together so I can share with chicken keepers my love for their hemp. You can use my code to tell them I sent you and save on your order (purelychickens). They also have amazing nest pads and grubs that I love and all of it comes in a monthly bundle so check that out!
Videos about the hemp: CLICK HERE and HERE
Image of the hemp:
Run Bedding
I don’t really use a “bedding” in the run. I use more of a substrate. While sand was too dusty in the coop, it is perfect in the run because it is open to the outside air. When the chickens work up dust, it just floats away in the wind. The reason I love it so much in the run is because of how easy it is to keep clean. It is like using a giant litter box. I go out into my run 2-3 times a week and use a sifting shovel to sift out droppings, feathers, and debris. Sometimes I will run a rake through the sand and all of the droppings pile into one spot making it even easier to sift them out.
There are two things to make sure of when you use sand.
The run must have a covering. We use a metal roof to cover our run but you can use whatever you want. Keeping it mostly dry is key. Yes, during a heavy rain water will splash in but it dries out quickly. The rain used to splash in more but this year we added gutter to the run to route most of the rain away from the sand.
You must use the correct type of sand in the run. Play sand, fine sand, and sand that easily packs together should be avoided. What you are looking for is a course grit sand. Unfortunately I can’t give you a link because it is different depending on where you live. I have seen it called construction sand, all purpose sand, concrete sand (not concrete mix that hardens when wet!), tube sand, and river sand. My best advice is to visit a sand and gravel yard near you and show them the pictures below! You can also go into a hardware store and usually find this type of sand. If you start cutting open bags, don’t tell them I sent you!!
Here are some images of what I use…
VIDEO OF OUR SAND AND HOW TO SIFT IT
Favorite sifting shovels found HERE!
Other things I have tried in my run include wood chips and just dirt. There was grass there in the beginning but they ate it in a week. Wood chips are ok if you don’t have a covering. The problem is they are hard to clean. If you try to remove poop, the wood chips don’t sift and you’ll take most of them with you. Dirt is fine for about a week but the droppings just get packed down and there is no way to clean it up.
Article that compares beddings : https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/best-chicken-coop-bedding
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