Chicken Coop Bedding and the Deep Litter Method

We use predominantly wood (pine) shavings for our chicken coop and for their bedding. We use large wood shavings because anything too fine can be dusty and damp. I've read that people use dried leaves, sticks, even paper as a base to start.

Cedar pine shavings have an oil that can be harmful and even toxic to chickens, so make sure to use pine. Again, we are not the fancy type, so we use a generic kind. It's cheap - around $6 for a 35lb compressed cube.

When we first started, we had about 4-6 inches of shavings on the floor of the coop. It provides a nice soft surface for the chickens to walk on, absorbs their poop and odor so it isn't super stinky. 

The high carbon content of wood shavings balances out the high nitrogen in chicken shit. Shavings are also easy to clean up with a shovel and easy to loosen and fluff with a pitchfork. A healthy bedding will provide a carbon/nitrogen balance and host beneficial bacteria along with your chicken poop.

We use the Deep Litter Method. Instead of scooping out and replacing chicken coop litter frequently, we allow the shit and bedding material to accumulate and decompose inside the coop. As with composting, beneficial microbes actually help control pathogens, so chickens are less susceptible to diseases. Our chickens have a dry, fluffy and absorbent floor and we have less maintenance. It's a win/win. 

Every so often we will go turn the coop litter with a pitch fork. The chickens turn it over for us, by scratching and foraging, but we give it a good once over to introduce oxygen and make sure there are no big hard clumps. If there are, we break them up or scoop them out. 

Since the weather was decent over the weekend (freezing, but dry and sunny), we decided we'd add more shavings and freshen up the coop.

We got 15 eggs in one day! (There are only 12 in the above pic, 

we gathered 3 from earlier in the morning). 

That the most we've EVER gotten in one day. 

We also realized when we were out there that it seems that we have a few chickens missing. We counted 22. Just because we didn't count them, doesn't always mean they are gone for good. I've found that some of my chickens will "run away" (I've been very sad about this), only to realize that they've come back after a day or two. 

Since their coop is close to the edge of our wooded area, a couple of chickens will roost in the trees at night and then come back down in the morning. 

But, it looks like we're going to need some new chicks in the spring! Baby chickens are the cutest. And it allows us another chance to try out a different breed. I want a chicken that lays BLUE eggs! 

Check back soon to see what new chicks we get!