Absorbency is one of An important qualities you'd like in chicken coop bedding. Chicken poop is extremely moist, and In case your bedding isn’t quite absorbent, it'll convert into a stinking, rotting, slimy mess right away. 

Then again, hardwood shavings, for example Individuals constructed from oak or maple, are more resilient and immune to dampness. They’re also more unlikely to produce dust and allergens, creating them a better choice for flock health. Even so, they do occur at a higher Price than softwood shavings.

Hemp is clear and the chickens genuinely find it irresistible. We’re hoping that because it results in being extra greatly available, the value will occur down much too, making it a far more acceptable choice for chicken keepers.

Mulch is a tough bedding source to your chickens. On its own, mulch is just not really absorbent, so chicken manure tends to just sit on it instead of take in it.

The only real improved litter source is sand, which will get a 100% on its ‘litter scorecard.’  For additional on sand during the coop, consider my posting, Utilizing sand for chicken coop bedding.

Should you discover any unusual conduct, swap to another variety of bedding or take into consideration introducing a dust-reducing additive to the shavings. Consistently cleansing and protecting your coop could also aid lessen the potential risk of health issues linked to wood shavings.

They may once in a while take in very little bits that come off, but it really will not bring about any issues. I put the pellets within the brooder ahead of they hatch. I protect the pellets with paper towels for approximately 4 days right until the chicks find out about ingesting. Like that you are able to sprinkle their food items around the paper towels until they work out having from the feeder. When they are All set, just pull out the paper towels. It really works great!

On the subject of maintaining a clean and healthy chicken coop, odor reduction and sanitation are crucial things. Wood shavings Perform a substantial role in managing odors and maintaining the coop clean up.

“Within just two days, I had 3 chickens with respiratory difficulties. They were being respiration with difficulty, just one was braying Pretty much just like a donkey and squeaking in between breaths… I immediately suspected that the shavings had been the perpetrator.” — Lisa Steele, Fresh new Eggs Day by day Blog site

When utilizing wood shavings as bedding for your personal chickens, you might come upon some common concerns which can effects their health and fitness and dwelling problems.

To produce this easier on you, we’ve place alongside one another a straightforward, straightforward to study list of many of the chicken bedding alternatives at the moment on the market, as well as the pros Find Out and cons of each and every. We’ve also laid out for yourself the worst solutions to choose from, and why.

UPDATE: Analysis implies that pine shavings bedding may very well be toxic to your chickens. Consider my write-up, Pine shavings during the coop: The secret chicken killer?, for the summary of the current investigate.

When researchers say “the experimental model,” These are referring to experiments done on rodents. They’re fundamentally indicating that any of such chemical substances in pine bedding could likely hurt the rodents or change their Organic capabilities in a way, and thus unknowingly impact the outcome of medical experiments.

Pine shavings are an exceedingly mediocre source of litter. They’re not horrible, However they’re certainly not Fantastic.