bedding materials

I was set on using sand in my coop and run based on advantages I had read about and the “Chicken Chick” and others recommendations. Now I am questioning it after reading an article in how it should never be used. I might be overthinking but now I am not sure what to use! I live in a residential...

There always seems to be some form of the straw vs shavings conversation happening around here. I've used chopped straw or sometimes flock fresh for about a year, and it's worked well. I do wish it was a bit more absorbent at times...so what about a mix of both? I'll probably try it anyway...

Hi, I have a lavender Guinea fowl who somehow got stuck on her back while we were at the store. In her attempt to get upright, she scratched herself raw under her wing. We got a small coop kit for a hospital coop. We are keeping her there so we can easily catch her to clean/ slather antibiotic...

Hello folks, I am doing research on the best type of bedding for my large coop. So far, I am leaning on sand based on a few studies cited on this article. One of the drawbacks of using sand is the weight. Not only does the coop must be strong to hold a couple of tons of the material, but I...

I live in Michigan with rain/snow in the winter. Our uncovered duck run is a muddy mess. We have clay soil and can't seem to grow grass in their area. I have seen posts recommending sand, pea gravel or wood chips. Which method works best? I have seen pros/cons for both.

Hey y’all! So, the way my henhouse is built, I cannot put in a poo board. Therefore I would sprinkle PDZ on the henhouse floor, and then cover with chopped straw. After a while of reading others’ posts and discussions about PDZ, I began to think about getting rid of the chopped straw on my...

Hi, We need some advice. We have ended up with a bit of a messy and out of control duck situation. We've got 10 ducks, we used to let them out for a big chunk of the day with some water for them to swim in, and the rest of the time they were in their run & coop, which isn't huge but was big...

Hello!.. I'm dealing with my first mite/lice whatever infestation and believe I have that underway using neem oil and DE... ( came to this conclusion after much ado about the bugs)... I have read that some people reported having parasite problems after buying products like straw, from a ( Chain...

I am almost positive I have at least 1 duck affected by aspergillus. I noticed her panting heavily and another panting slightly. Some things I've noticed: She stopped panting and is now a bit lethargic and definitely quiet. My last bag of shavings was damp when I opened it. I tried deep litter...

Hello there :) I am a mother of 2 Emotional support House Silkies. They are 1 month and the other is 1 month & 2 weeks old. I have them on Newspaper right now and ofcourse as chickens do they poop and step in it a lot. I love holding them but I have to shower right after everytime. :confused: I...

Going to be keep two indoor silkies for ESAs. I want to keep the smell to a minimum and the mess too. I read on here to use pine pellets instead of pine shavings. Is this a good idea?

Hi I am new to the site and a new Silkie Chick Mother of 2.:love They are only 2 weeks old, but I am preparing to move them into a rabbit hutch at 8 weeks old with removable trays for easy clean up. I was wondering which type of bedding is best for their poop so they dont get so much poop on...

We have a large raised bed planter at the back section of our chicken run which was once completely filled with vinca. Our chickens ate it down to the ground and over time their scratching has exposed roots of larger plants and trees. I need suggestions for bedding material I can use in this...

Whqt is the best bedding/ nesting material for a mixed flock? I’ve heard cedar shavings are toxic to certain birds but I don’t remember which. We are using pine shavings, but I was hoping for something a little more ‘rain proof’. We’ve been having bad storms here lately and where we live, it...

Hey there, I just have a couple questions about my wee quails. The first question is about the bedding. When I got my first one, I had no idea what to do with her. She was a petland reject that had brain damage so they just gave her to me. The store had no idea how to care for quails and they...

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has any input on using wood pellets for coop bedding and respiratory issues in chickens? We've been trying to get to the bottom of respiratory problems in our chickens and we are starting to consider that it might be environmental as opposed to disease (which...

Dears, I have a small wooden coop (1.3 meter/ 0.8 meter) (2 chickens and a rooster). I use hay for bedding the coop but due to cold weather I notice that after 5 or 6 days the hay becomes wet and has moisture. I was told that sand is better for small coops. But, I do not know how is sand in...

So I'm a first year poultry owner (in central Maine), although I have experience working with chickens and ducks on farms in the PNW. I've been trained on the deep litter method in the past, and as soon as I started raising my girls this year I went with it. It is now Winter (early and ugly...

I’m not sure this is the correct place but maybe it falls into maintenance? So I’m not looking for the “best bedding” but I was struggling with a search for pros and cons for different bedding materials. I’m mostly curious because I’d like to use anything non-toxic that becomes seasonally...

I Have 4 ducklings (ive had since they hatched) They are 1 month old on 5/10/18. I just tried switching them to wood shavings (larger sized shavings ) from hay and of course they attempted to eat it possibly some smaller pieces but I removed them and put hay over the top of the shavings in hopes...