What kind of bedding do you use?

[Nicos]

Hello there- and welcome to the Vine!

We use shavings too even in the nest boxes!

[Glutton4...]

Hi and welcome.

I use shavings in the coop and nest-box, but I have a 'droppings board' on the coop floor under the roosting perches. Basically, it's a thin gloss-painted hardboard sheet, so I can just scrape it off into the bucket when I muck-out. If it's really sticky, I can hose it down too. I got the idea from a magazine article I read one day.

Having read Twinkle's post, I'm surprised I never thought of using Newspaper underneath - what a good idea, and nice and warm too. I'll raid my Mum's old paper pile tomorrow and give it a go in their bed area to see how we go.

[tillysmum]

I'd thought of using newspaper as a base, but the gloss-painted hardboard sounds very good!
Thanks again everyone for the ideas and suggestions.

[Bephlam]

My lot dig up all the newspaper if I line their bed with it - dig it all up, rip it to shreds and make the whole place look untidy, which really annoys me!!!

[Apple Betty]

I just use shavings in their house and the run has bark mulch cos we are on heavy clay.

When I first got my girls (and boy) I put straw in the nest boxes but they just dragged it out and scattered it around the floor of their house - probably cos I'd gathered it off the fields after harvest and it still had the grain on (I was new to it, didn't think!).

They seem quite happy with shavings but I do like the idea of the painted board under the perches - I can see we'll all be in the shed this weekend painting bits of wood !!

[frias]

- I can see we'll all be in the shed this weekend painting bits of wood !![/QUOTE]

I wish. My lot are not interested in sleeping on a perch. They will sit on one to watch me cleaning out and use a perch in the run to get to the treats. However they prefer to sleep all huddled up together on the coop floor. I use loads of newspaper covered in shavings. During the summer I used just newspaper and it was very easy to clean out. Fortunately they didn't rip it up. I think they need the extra warmth of shavings or something else in the winter though.

[Twinkle]

Hi and welcome.

I use shavings in the coop and nest-box, but I have a 'droppings board' on the coop floor under the roosting perches. Basically, it's a thin gloss-painted hardboard sheet, so I can just scrape it off into the bucket when I muck-out. If it's really sticky, I can hose it down too. I got the idea from a magazine article I read one day.

Having read Twinkle's post, I'm surprised I never thought of using Newspaper underneath - what a good idea, and nice and warm too. I'll raid my Mum's old paper pile tomorrow and give it a go in their bed area to see how we go.

we also have a "droppings board" - the whole floor is slatted with a pullout board underneath (pinched from the Eglu design) but I put newspaper sheets on the board to make the poo easier to remove. Dead lazy me !!

[Glutton4...]

we also have a "droppings board" - the whole floor is slatted with a pullout board underneath (pinched from the Eglu design) but I put newspaper sheets on the board to make the poo easier to remove. Dead lazy me !!

Yes, my little (proper) coop has a pull-out tray at the bottom. Very good idea, until you get more hens and have to convert a shed lol.

[HayleyB]

Welcome to the mad (hen) house. I use shavings too on the floor, a layer in the nest boxxes under straw. And have a chipboard base under the roost which is covered in newspapers and cleared and renewed everyday, it all gets thrown on the muck heap.