[daisy1990]

As a new hen owner this site has been great so far for advice on runs, electric fencing and mixing breeds, so thanks to all you experienced owners!

I have bought a new coup for my three chicks and have put saw dust and straw in the laying box and sawdust on the floor of the coup.  I am changing it all twice a week and moving the run and coup on to fresh grass.

I have been told that I shouldn't use straw (which I was recommended by our local pet/animal suppliers) as it will introduce red mite.  Is this true? What else should I use instead? How will I recognise red mite?

Thanks again
Daisy

[Wild Pony]

Hi Daisy, Red mite can be recognised by looking in the crevices of the house and round the perch ends etc. They are anything from a pale grey dust (the eggs)through grey to blood red (the mature mite dependant on whether they've had lunch or no). They only feed at night and don't live on the birds, just suck their blood. They are a chook keepers nightmare and there are many products to control them, some organic some more chemical.

As for straw introducing the mite, I have no idea, but we have tried every bedding we know of, except sawdust (too fine and could be inhaled), and now have found a local produced version of medibed (made for horses, but a bit pricey) and this is a chop straw type bedding with eucalyptus on it, and has so far had the added benefit of keeping mites at bay, always a bonus.

I know there are far more knowledgable people here, but this is just a personal opinion.

Good luck

[daisy1990]

many thanks for your advice much appreciated

[k4t1e195]

when i first got mine i used straw in the nest boxes. I was also warned about the straw carrying red mite. So i switched to hemcore which was recommended to me through this site. It costs more but lasts longer and makes for easy cleaning out.

[daisy1990]

what is hemcore and do you buy locally or online?

[k4t1e195]

im not exactly sure what it is. Its usually used for horses i think. We get it from a local animal warehouse feed store. Alot of people on here use it. Hopefully someone with a better knowledge reads this and can tell you a bit more.

[GrannieAnnie]

Because sawdust is so fine, it can be inhaled and/or eaten by the chickens and can help cause respiratory problems.  Straw is hollow and can get mould growths which can lead to aspergillosis, which is one of the chronic respiratory diseases chooks can get.

Personally we use Shavings, but Joyfull got me a bag of hemcore and I tried that, its not bad, but as we have a lot of chickens, it still gets messy quickly, even though I keep turning it.  Hemcore is made from the dried stalks of hemp.

Medibed is chopped straw with things like eucalyptus in to help deter red mite.  Easibed and Easichick are another form of the chopped straw, but being chopped up at least it doesn't have the hollow straw like whole straw does. 

[Wild Pony]

If any of you are in Cornwall (Daisy's doesn't say) there is an agri merchant here that stretches into Devon (that doesn't have a blind tunnelling animal in their name) that does a product called Cousin Jack that is all but the same as Medibed bar the price......lots cheaper. But I am sure there are others doing similar. Miscanthus bedding is doing the rounds just now too, but never used it so can't comment. My second choice bedding for chooks is shavings purely as my horse has them and we've nearly always got some kicking about. Due to asthma I have to choose a bedding that suits me and the birds and horse, but then I'm allergic to anything with hair, fur and feathers, lolololol

[carolbriar]

I use dust free shavings which I get from a horse bedding manufacturer.  It is made about 4 miles from me so I just go and collect a few bales as needed

[Redgoat]

May I suggest a very old fashioned bedding. Rushes were used until the 1960's as bedding on many upland farms. It's very economical and is only difficult to handle if used on intensive systems.
Granted local availability may be mixed but if you have some upland farmland nearby i'm sure the farmer will let you have all you want for free.

[Flowerpower136]

I've tried straw, wood shaving and am now a Hemcore fan.  It's easy to handle, really absorbent, so clumps and is easy to poo pick.  Because of that the coop stays cleaner for longer.  Also a very good bonus is that it composts quickly.  Much quicker than wood shavings.

[Celtic Eagle]

Wood shavings over newspaper in the coop and straw in the nest boxes.  The chooks like it and it's easy to keep clean

[wildwitchy]

I like hemcore. Just started using it. I use it under the roosting areas,nest/egg laying boxes. I like how it clumps so poo picking is a doddle & it smells nice. I put shavings/straw elsewhere.

The ducks & goslings have it under their straw as its very absorbant-they are poo machines!

[daisy1990]

thank you all I will use the straw up under my strawberries and buy hemcore for the chicks!