Hi Girls! I am just wondering if anyone else uses straw for chicken pens? We keep our chicken coops inside a 50x50' pen with straw on the ground so they are protected while we are at work. When we are home they play in the garden and yard. We have tried grass, and just dirt but it was messy and seemed to smell more. We use straw now, but I was wondering, is that the best? Any suggestions?
I do that alot! I use shavings inside the hen house but I use straw in the yard when I have it...looks nice and neat. I used some alfalfa hay that was left after we put up our hay this week...broken bale that was spread everywhere and they love that too...after they ate the leaves and kicked it around it is like extra nice sin there now. It is so much nicer than mud with our clay soil. IN winter I don't do it though...I am not THAT good.
I had emailed www.mypetchickens.com with the same question because I'm preparing to put my chicks outside. The lady that responded strongly suggested pine shavings. She said that straw holds more moisture for a longer time than pine shavings. It's better to get that stuff dried out. They also say that cedar shavings are not good for chickens. Hope that helps...
I have done all of this...hay, straw, shaving, dried mowed grass.....i find that straw was Ok but was too shiny & the poo wouldn't absorb in it like it did with the bedding hay or pine shaving...it works Ok in a run but I prefer something that will help the poo dry faster inside the coop.....I have 1/3 acre & we have a bagger on our mower so I thought why not set the grass out to dry & also use that...well I will tell you its a great way to recycle the grass, it gets composted in the runs & I will use it also inside the coop...so I have found a great thing to use in the good months but in the winter I use a combination of bedding hay & pine shavings.........I lay a thin layer of the pine shavings down then the bedding hay then dust it with the 'D' earth....If the poo is runny the shaving absorb any the hay didn't get...where as with the straw it just seemed to puddle up & make a icky mess...but for some people it works great...so there is no right way or wrong way...what ever works for you & the chickens.....in the winter & rainy months I do use a lot of straw in the runs since it tends to become a swamp quite quickly & it works great for that......so like I said if you are happy with what you are using & the chickens are good then you are doing the right thing :)....Michele'
Straw Bedding For the Chicken Pen
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 3:08:10 PM
