[derekwendy]

Hi all
Can someone tell me what is best for my chickens as bedding is it hay or straw.

[tode]

I think straw stays a lot cleaner.

[sallylouise]

I use sawdust  for them at night time and in their nesting area as it seems to be tidy and easy to clean up,  however I have just bought them a large straw bale and put it in their coop which they are loving , they keep pecking at it and scratching it.   

[poultrygeist]

They tend to eat hay, which can then cause problems in their crop. Best avoided. 

Rob

[Alby]

I use straw and it keeps them warm and dry and smelling nice.

[karlooben]

hello, at the mo i only use shavings on the floor of the house as my nest boxes dont require bedding although over the next week or so straw will be geting used  as my half bag of shavings which is stored in the corner on top of one of the poo shelves  well has now turned into a very very commfy nest laying area i think if i take it away i will get some very upset girlies  each day now i find a little dent in the middle  of the bag and most days theres up to 9 eggs all grouped in the middle .

[hillfooter]

Never use hay, bark, shreddings or hardwood shavings as litter.   

Chopped straw is fine though not very absorbant,  Softwood dust extracted shavings are excellent and highly sanitory and there's lots of specialist litter which use byproducts of wood pulp or paper manufacture.  Visit a good equestrian supplier and see what's available locally.  A bale of shavings lasts a longtime for a small house.

See this recent thread for a discussion on litter http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=47347.msg556558#msg556558

[alisonwo]

My nest boxes have straw in them which they love to make into a bed, and the poop deck has sawdust under the perches.  I saw one of the girls picking up bits of straw and throwing them over her shoulder to cover her eggs yesterday, didn't realise they did this.  Never use hay I was told as it contains mould spores, not good for their chest or yours.

[benson_moomoo]

Is shredded paper any good?

[tode]

I wouldn't have thought so (inks, etc. ) and would make a soggy mess when wet, no ?

[joyfull]

some people use shredded paper in their nest boxes but it is not very absorbant and needs changing every day. Don't use shiny paper as this contains more ink plus china clay which stops it being absorbant. Newspapers do compost down well though. I just use hemcore in my nest boxes (really just one box as they all like to use the same one - the other nest box must be there purely for cosmetic reasons !!) and a sprinkling of diatom.

[newhen]

Can you believe my supplier didn't have any straw! I bought hay but having read this I will take it back and find some straw somewhere else.

[tode]

You haven't got a friendly farmer nearby, Newhen ?

[newhen]

Yes, I may have! I will have a little look round.  Hadn't thought of that, my daughter's friend has a farm.

Thanks.

[tode]

Our farmer neighbour sold us two of the big round bales for 10 quid (delivered !)