Chicken Coop Bedding
A clean chicken coop ensures healthier chickens.
Chicken coop bedding. Chicken bedding is something that you place in the bottom of the chicken coop and or nesting boxes that will collect chicken waste and moisture. Traditionally chickens farmers used to use straw or hay however this is no longer. So what this means is that your coop will not smell quite as much because there will be something there to collect a lot of the substances that make it stink.
Hemp bedding is a natural highly absorbent and superior choice to other animal bedding options which can be harmful to your animals and damaging to the environment. Chopped straw is a mediocre choice but carries a risk of pathogens and pine shavings should be avoided due to toxicity. The chicken feces along with straw shavings dried leaves or grass clippings turned to allow oxygen to permeate it remains in the coop with new litter added as needed and then the entire coop is cleaned out come spring.
Many chicken owners are extremely vigilant about keeping their coops clean and will spot clean or poo pick the bedding daily or each time they are in the coop. Bedding serves many purposes besides comfort. The act of composting generates heat and the resulting compost makes great soil for your garden come spring.
It must also provide a means of odor control a method of absorption and a place for chickens to lay their eggs. What does the bedding do. When the carbon of a chicken coop bedding material and the nitrogen content of chicken manure balance properly you can use a deep litter method to compost the bedding right in the coop.
Planning for chickens includes the vital decision of which type of bedding to use. If your chickens are walking in chicken poop and moldy bedding the mold spores can lead to health issues and diseases and other upper respiratory illnesses. Sand is a much safer choice than all other bedding materials.
While this extreme isn t really necessary it will certainly help to maintain the level of. Animal bedding or floor litter is used in chicken coops to help absorb chicken manure that naturally occurs when keeping chooks as well as providing comfortable footing for your chickens feet and a soft landing spot for the eggs they will lay. Ensuring that your hen house has plenty of fresh clean and absorbent animal bedding is one of the best ways you can maintain the health and hygiene of your chickens.
It has a neutral odour and is also natural pest repellent to help deter poultry pests and parasites from your coop hutch and backyard.
