Other Great Options Available for your Chicken’s Bedding

Keep Reading to learn about some other options available for your Chicken’s Bedding

Chicken coop life can be pretty hectic, especially if you’ve got several chickens that need to be kept happy and healthy.

To make things easier on yourself, it’s helpful to have a plan before you head into the chicken house.

After all, not everything is going to be perfect from the get-go.

That said, there are some key things you can do to make sure your chickens are getting the best care possible.

Bedding plays an important role in keeping your coop clean and healthy for your chickens.

The right bedding will help keep down the smell of poo and urine which will keep your chickens comfortable but not too comfortable so they want to nest or roost in their coop at night.

It also helps maintain the humidity levels so that you don’t have a dry spell or flooding from wetness either.

Lastly, it helps improve aeration which will help keep bugs out of the coop too if they’re nesting somewhere else in your hen house.

One thing that you should know about bedding is that there are many different options available depending on what you prefer and how much time and resources you have available to purchase them as well as keep them clean and maintained properly.

What is the Best Bedding for my Chickens?

If you’re serious about raising chickens, then you’ll want to take some time to learn about the different bedding options available.

There are so many and they have such a variety of pros and cons that it can be hard to know where to start.

This guide aims to help you take the first step by providing you with a bit more insight and knowledge on the topic.

Once you’re familiar with the different options available, it’ll be easier for you to choose the best bedding for your needs.

One thing that you should be aware of right away is that there are many options available.

This means that you’ll need to be extra careful when making your decision since one thing may work great for one coop, but not another.

Now, you’ll want to consider the following factors when picking the best bedding for your chickens:

Scent – While there are many options available, some bedding will have a stronger scent than others.

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This may be a non-issue if you don’t care about the scent, but you may want to pick something more neutral because it’s less likely to attract animals to your coop as well as invade your chickens’ personal space with the strong scent of poo or urine.

Also, if your chickens aren’t as clean as you’d like, the stronger scents may make them feel less comfortable during coop cleaning time which is always messy.

Availability – If you want to keep the bedding in your chicken house, you’ll need to make sure that it will not attract pests, smell too strong to be comfortable, or otherwise make it hard to keep clean.

Pests in particular are attracted to bedding that has a strong scent and may fly into your coop while you’re not there.
Furthermore, bedding that’s made specifically for chicken houses is often much harder to clean and maintain.

This means that you may want to consider using something else if you don’t have the time or resources available to keep it fresh.

Type – There are several different types of bedding available, each with its own benefits and cons.

This means that you may want to pick a specific type of bedding depending on your coop setup as well as your own preferences.

There are a few different types of bedding for chickens

There are a few different bedding types that you can choose from when it comes to your chickens. Each has its own benefits and cons, but which one you use will depend on your personal preferences and needs.

Loose Layouts — This is one of the most popular types of bedding for chickens. It’s a loose mixture of recycled materials that’s easy to scoop out and keep clean.

In fact, many people find that simply using their own hands to scoop it out is enough to keep things clean.

This bedding doesn’t have any chemicals or additives in it, so it’s completely natural and free of any off-putting smells or toxins. It’s also great for aeration and drainage so that your coop doesn’t get too humid or too dry.

Micro-Shredded — If you’re looking for bedding that’s a little more rigid than loose layouts, this is a great option for you.

Also known as micro-pulverized shavings, this bedding is a mix of shredded wood and recycled paper.

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This type of bedding is a little harder to clean than loose layouts since you need to use a shavings trap to get rid of the caked-on shavings that inevitably form on the bottom of your coop.

Also, it doesn’t pack as much aeration as loose layouts so it’s ideal for dry environments.

How Often Should My Chickens Be Sleeping in Their Coop with the New Bedding?

There are many ways that you can use to change out your chickens’ bedding, but one of the best is to change it out completely every 6-12 months.

This way, you’re giving the bedding a chance to break down, but you don’t have to change out the whole thing in one go.

This will mean that each year you’ll be reusing some of the same bedding that’s been in your coop for some time, but it will also be much easier to keep clean and fresh with less hassle.

If you’re in a rush or simply don’t have the time, bedding like wood shavings or sawdust that is made for chickens is a great alternative.

It’s just as easy to change out, but you don’t have to scrape off all the caked-on shavings that come with loose bedding.

Where to get more info on what kind of Bedding is Best for your Chickens

We’ve done all the hard work of walking you through the different types of bedding available, but it’s up to you to actually make the decision on which one to use.

Regardless of what you decide, it’s always helpful to get more information on the particular bedding that you’ve chosen.

This way, you can make sure that it’s the best choice for your chickens and your coop. If you’re using loose layouts, you may want to keep a copy of this article handy so that you can refresh yourself on the benefits and the best way to use them.

The same goes for all other bedding types too!

The right bedding is an important part of keeping your chickens healthy and comfortable, so it’s important to make sure that you have the right bedding available.

It’s also important to know when it’s time to change out the bedding in your coop. With the right bedding and fresh bedding every 6-12 months, your chickens will be happy and healthy.