Choosing bedding for your chickens can be a difficult and confusing decision, with many options. From pine shavings, sand, recycled paper and grass clippings, each option has its own set of uses.
We have listed the best options for chicken litter and discussed the main topics that often confuse poultry farmers, such as chicken litter and what to use in winter. Let's get stuck in!
Why the right chicken litter is essential
The rightBedding is importantfor a number of reasons. It provides comfort and warmth, but most importantly: it reduces unpleasant odors. If left unchecked, ammonia will build up and eventually pose a serious threat to both the people who work with your chickens and your chickens themselves, potentially leading to a number of respiratory and eye diseases.
The ideal litter provides a neat, easily replaceable layer that soaks up and absorbs feces, which can then be thrown away or used as fertilizer. In addition to odor control, bedding also provides warmth for your chickens, which is essential for their health. Chickens are sensitive to temperature changes and stress, so if they are placed in an insufficiently insulated environment,they will not lay their eggs properly.
With this in mind, it is important that you find the best and most suitable bedding for your chickens to ensure their well-being. Now let's look at some of the different bed types and the best uses for each bed type.
Wood curls
Probablythe most popular option for poultry litterWood shavings are widely available and a popular choice, available online from local pet stores, or can be made yourself if you have a wood chipper.
Why we love it
(+) Cleaning is easy with wood shavings, which can tear easily.
(+) Wood shavings are absorbent. Your chicken coop remains tidy and unpleasant odors are kept to a minimum.
(+) They are affordable and widely available at local farm or pet stores
(+) If you plan to use your chicken droppings as fertilizer in your garden or farm,wood shavings will be perfect. They are easily removed and absorb urea and ammonia effectively and compost quickly
(+) Wood shavings providegood thermal insulatorskeeping your chickens warm all year round
Even more negative
(-)Gizzard-invloedis unfortunately a very real problem with wood shavings. Chickens can be naturally curious and may decide to nibble on the wood shavings. If you have chickens, avoid wood shavings, as they tend to peck around and eat whatever they come across until they become familiar with where to find food. If you use wood shavings, you should always wait a few weeks after hatching.
(-) Although wood chips are affordable, it depends on the size of your home. If you have a lot of chickens in a large coop, it can get expensive
(-) Some wood shavings may contain sawdust, which is harmful to chickens and leads to respiratory problems. Always check to see if the chips are dusted.
(-) Wood shavings can be made from different types of sawdust, and some of these types can be harmful. For example, chips are made from ithardwood is dangerousas they often contain mold and fungi that can negatively affect your chickens.
Pine bedding
Although pine is not as popular as wood chips, it is becoming increasingly popular due to its affordability and wide availability. Aesthetically, Pine also looks good and can add a fresh, organized look to any chicken coop. Best of all: it smells amazing! Just don't expect the scent to last forever as it can fade quickly.
Why we love it
(+) Pine shavings providefantastic moisture absorbersand are good at itinsulating chicken coopseven in the coldest months. Pine tends to stay drier and needs to be replaced less frequently than normal chips.
(+) Little dust is created, as long as you buy the right type. This means you get flaky chips and never fine particles, keeping dust levels low and giving your chickens a more comfortable and soft bedding.
(+) Packages of pine chips are often inexpensive compared to other alternatives, such as aspen chips, and are widely available online at sites like Amazon and at agricultural supply stores.
(+) Not only are they super light, but you'll also find them packed in rugged, large bags, making storage and movement easy on your small farm.
Even more negative
(-) Pine shavings are not very absorbent compared to alternatives such as sand.
(-) Most pine shavings for chickens are made from treated wood, which can lead to complications if you plan to compost it later.
(-) While the smell of pine shavings tends to fade over time because it is presentresin, there is a risk of it penetrating the structure of your home. This is dangerous because it can negatively affect your chicken's respiratory health and even seep into the eggs.
(-) Pine shavings are not known to be dusty unless you have a fairly large house where chickens are constantly kicking around the litter. To avoid this, buy higher quality chips.
Hemp bedding
Often hailed as one of the best options for chickens, hemp – derived from the stem of the cannabis plant – provides bedding that is virtually odorless yet highly absorbent, while acting as a natural pesticide.
Why we love it
(+) Hemp is 100% sustainable and decomposes naturally. Just collect the scraps from your home and compost it. Likewise,hemp is often grown naturallywithout chemicals such as pesticides, so you don't have to worry about your chickens being exposedunwanted chemical residues.
(+) Hemp litter is one of the mostabsorbentpossibilities that exist
(+) You don't have to worry about dust and the breathing problems it can cause. Hemp is an incredibly airy material. This quality not only ensures that the eggs laid are protected, but also provides your chickens with a comfortable, padded surface to walk around, keeping problems such as bumblebees at bay.
(+) If you buy good quality hemp bedding, it will have a long shelf life and you will get full value for your money as long as you use the product wisely.
(+) Hemp litter has good propertiesthermal insulation propertieswhich ensures that your chicken coop stays warm. This can help keep the cost of electric heating down if this applies to you.
Even more negative
(-) Hemp bedding is on the pricier side and will cost more to furnish the coop in the first place. But because hemp is durable and sturdy, you won't need to replace it as often as wood shavings.
(-) Hemp is still relatively new to the market and the research is not as extensive as other traditional alternatives for possible side effects.
Winter is coming: chicken litter for cold winters
Now that summer is over and winter is in full swing, it's important to make sure your chickens are kept warm and cozy. Fortunately, there are a number of proven methods to ensure that your home is properly insulated. We've listed three ways you can ensure your chicken bedding is ready for winter.
The deep waste method:
A handy trickit has been done for centuries, it uses decomposition. To do this, turn over a layer of used litter and add additional, fresh layers, allowing your chickens' droppings to decompose on the farm floor all winter long. The decomposition process produces natural heat. The best part? You'll have wonderful compost to use when spring arrives.
Sunlight:
While it's important to choose bedding that is known for retaining heat, don't forget the biggest source of heat: the sun. Even during the shorter winter days, ensure that sufficient sunlight is received during the hottest hours of the day. One way to do this is to install insulated windows, and using the deep bottom method at the same time will retain even more heat.
Ventilation:
Ensuring your chicken coop gets adequate airflow can be a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, you want to ensure that enough air can flow in and out to minimize the build-up of ammonia. And on the other hand, you want to prevent so much cold air from entering. This is a difficult dilemma, but one that can be solved if you install a good ventilation system. Without proper ventilation, your bedding is more likely to mold, requiring you to spend more money on replacement while exposing your chickens to potential damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (Frequently Asked Questions)
How often should I replace the chicken grit?
The answer to this common question is that it depends. Specific to the type of coop bedding you use. That said, the general rule of thumb to look out for is odor. If you notice a strong odor coming from your chicken coop, it is a good indication that you need to replace the bedding. In addition, we recommend that you disinfect the entire coop every time you change your bedding for the health of your chicken.
Do I need special chicken litter for my chickens?
If you have a significant population of chickens in your coop, you know how vulnerable they are. Although cute, chicks are fragile and not always the smartest. They need as much care and attention as you can give. When it comes to bedding, make sure they have plenty of bedding so they have a good surface to live, walk and eat on. While there is no specific option that is ideal for chickens, there are many options that you should avoid. This also applies to wood chips and aromatic wood chips, as these can be toxic.
Can I use hay for chicken bedding?
Although hay can easily be used as poultry bedding and is often inexpensive, we recommend avoiding it. Hay does not absorb moisture well, so unless you carefully maintain your coop, things will quickly become moldy and cause outbreaks of mold spores. Even worse, this can cause aspergillosis (an infection of the lungs) in your chickens. Hay is also not the most durable bedding, so you may find yourself spending large amounts of money just to keep supplies stocked.
Can I use shredded paper for chicken litter?
Surprisingly, shredded paper makes quite good chicken bedding. It's also a green option if you use recycled paper and have a shredder, and like hay, paper can be cheap if you choose to use scraps. Make sure you keep two things in mind. First, that the ink used on your paper is safe for your chickens. This means that you have to make sure that they are made from, for example, soy-based ink. And secondly, that you change the bedding often. Paper tends to absorb water well, and if you don't do anything about it, you can quickly become sticky.
