Which Bedding Is Best For Your Chicken Coop?

We look at three common chicken coop beddings. Which bedding is best, which is most economical, and which one should you avoid? Do we use the best method?! Stay tuned!
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[@AnnettesCreations]

Great video. I love pine shavings. Thanks for the detailed information about the different beddings. Have a beautiful day.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

For the money (and composting), I think it's the way to go. Thanks for watching and sharing your opinions. Have a great weekend!

[@AnglesideFarm]

Sand huh.....makes sense when you explain it. I’ve used pine shavings and straw before. You’re right about the ammonia smell. Whenever I was planing lumber I would save the shavings but not the sawdust from the table saw or dust collector, I was concerned that the sawdust would be too small and they would eat it. Coffee grounds....never heard of that before. Informative video, well explained

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

The coarse grain sand is the best. It just isn't economical for me. It also presents a disposal problem for me, with 81 hens right now. I like to compost all the bedding. Thanks for watching and have a great weekend!

[@Nora_meow99]

Big info!👍 Thanks alot my friend Have a big succesfully 🙋🐈‍⬛❣️

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thank you for watching! Have a great weekend!

[@Fil-AmGardening]

A great answer to a great question, I don’t have chickens for now but I appreciate your sharing this information 👍 Happy Sunday!

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thanks for watching and commenting! We appreciate your support! Cheers from Minnesota!

[@Fil-AmGardening]

You’re welcome 👍

[@aapkisehelimehar8138]

Hello my friend you are too good well done😊👍👍👍thank you for sharing

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thank you for watching and commenting! We appreciate your support!

[@beesandseeds]

Great video. I’m team pine shavings and my daughter is team straw. With 2 coops and different bedding, I feel the shavings are superior in controlling odors.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Straw will control odor, if there is enough of it. We had about eight inches of straw in the pole barn last winter. A lot! Glad you're on Team Pine Shavings! Cheers Lisa!

[@CaponeCabin]

This was excellent info! As I have said, I don't have my chickens yet but I've learned so much from your channel! Plus I know you've done your homework!

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I've tried to look into everything we do. This is an important part. Can't wait til you get your chickens! Cheers Kristen!

[@gbltheolechurch5acrehomestead]

Great video. Very informative! Watched to the END!

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thanks for watching (the full vid!) and commenting! Hope your trip was great! Have a great weekend! Cheers!

[@gbltheolechurch5acrehomestead]

Wondering about sawdust from Spruce and Fir logs/lumber! Can it be used for chicken coop bedding? Pine is protected here!

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

@@gbltheolechurch5acrehomestead I looked and it seems that Spruce and Fir are good. They're all in the pine family. Great question! I had no clue and needed to research!!

[@OldPecanHomestead]

I do agree with you on the shavings. That is what we use also.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thank you for watching! For the price and ease of use, the shavings are gold! Cheers!

[@OldPecanHomestead]

@@TheOldSwedesFarm Yes, if I had a wood chipper, I'd probably use wood chips to save. Ha

[@BARBSCOUNTRYHOME999]

Great information!

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thank you Barb!

[@gardeningmadeeasywiththeol3945]

Hi Rich, enjoyed your video and found it interesting and informative. Will be noted for future reference! Best Wishes, Paul & Nadj.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Glad it was helpful. I get so many questions and wanted to get this one on film. A great topic! Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers Paul & Nadj!

[@krissy3172]

We have a “droppings board” under the roosts; I sprinkle Sweet PDZ (and some pine shavings on top in the winter) which makes cleaning super easy (I use a giant cat litter scooper). For the coop floor, hands down absolutely love Hemp bedding! It’s super absorbent and not dusty. I use pine shavings in their nesting boxes.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Looks like you've got a plan for each area of your coop/run. We tried to keep it simple for the entire area. It's so nice that you've got a plan. Many kind of "wing it" and figure it out as they go. Great job! Have a great weekend Krissy!

[@kimbean]

Good morning 🌞 I use pine shavings and straw mixed. Sprinkle First Saturday Lime all over for odor/mites/ flys. Good video😉

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

The lime is a nice addition. Hope all your girls are doing well Kim. Cheers!

[@8EACRESHOMESTEAD]

Yep... We live next to some sand hills---that's what we use. Great informational video once again. Thank you for sharing!

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

If you've got a readily available spot for sand.....bonus! Great stuff to us and a great place to "recycle" it! Cheers!

[@graceandfire]

Great information!! We used to use sand in the large run. The problem is that we have clay and it got too hard from all the rain. I switched the girls to pine bark in the big run. I love it because it breaks down and I compost it. In my coop, the floor has 4 bags of contractor sand (same one you recommended) that I bought at Lowe’s. Underneath of their roosts, we have a poop board that we put PDZ on (we sift the 💩) It’s organic, keeps the smell at bay, and fabulous for the garden (as it helps put minerals back in the soil). I use PDZ instead of sand for the same reason you mentioned. Sand is not good for compost. I’ve been doing this since day 1 and my garden is doing great. I forgot to add that the sand helps weigh the coop down. We have high winds. Course we have 4 foot ground stakes helping with this, but the sand helps keep the weight of the coop heavy and it’s never had problems since. We deal with 65mph winds from time to time.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

With the size of our coop/run, we don't have a weight issue! The sand definitely would add weight to a smaller coop. Glad you've got the correct sand and it's working great! Cheers Glenda!

[@jase_drifter]

Great video Rich, I am using sugar cane mulch atm for my coop. as I can put it straight into my compost setup after its served its purpose as a coop litter.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I've heard several using sugar cane mulch. Sounds like a great alternative to pine shavings and a great compost setup. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!

[@flowerfolkfarm3553]

Nice one Rich!! I’ve never heard of those bales of shavings here in Oz but they sound great!!! We are straw users here which works pretty good in the mobile chook house 👏 hey that was interesting about the cedar shavings!!! Hope you guys are having an awesome weekend guys….. take care!!! 🌻💐💝

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

The pine shavings come in compressed blocks that are wrapped in plastic. They're really convenient to buy (and move). Thanks for watching! Have a great weekend!

[@twistyourstitch7371]

I’m using sugar sand (construction grade) it’s working great so far - I have it in the coop (cement floor) and in the run-mulchy forest ground underneath. No water/wet problems yet with all our rain but we will see next spring…

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I don't know about sugar sand but I'm glad it's working well for you! Spring is always the challenge, no matter what bedding/litter you use. Cheers Rachel!!

[@2286customx]

Grass clippings/leaves from the property for the run? Very informative video.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

For out in the run, that would be good. You just want to make sure you don't put too much grass. The hens will be adding their own nitrogen and you don't want the place to stink! Thanks for stopping by!

[@wensmyrtlebeachliving]

Wish we could have one. Loved your tips.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thanks for watching! I hope you can have chickens (or a coop) in the near future. Have a great week!

[@BroqueCowgirlHomestead]

I would never even have thought to use coffee grounds in the coop. I do put coffee and tea grounds in my compost. Pine shavings is what I use in my.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I've heard about the coffee grounds but I just don't know how they'd respond. They are so acidic. I'll stick with the pine shavings.

[@BroqueCowgirlHomestead]

@@TheOldSwedesFarm Coffee grounds are not acidic. That is in the coffee after its made. The grounds are pretty much PH neutral. But provide a wonderful nitrogen source in compost.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

@@BroqueCowgirlHomestead Great info Gwen. I thought the grounds would have acid too. Thanks for clearing up my confusion!

[@creativefloralswtMartina]

Your response was very informative and helpful to those who are planning to raise their own chickens . 🙏☺️💐

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thanks Martina! I hope this is helpful to others who are raising (or getting ready to raise) chickens. Cheers!

[@MayfieldRanch]

I use the pine shavings too, it is the easiest option.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

For the cost, and the bales, I love the shavings. Cheers!

[@DaveCollierCamping]

Great info

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thanks for watching Dave! Have a great weekend!

[@daviddjabo7219]

How to treat chickens from lice. Thanks for the simple explanation

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Do your chickens have lice? Do you want to know how to prevent or how to treat the chickens, once you have lice? Thanks David.

[@daviddjabo7219]

Thanks for your response to your chickens, because I have a little bit of lice, I but a little bit of ant repellent on them. It didn't work for me. Every week, the young chicks die.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

@@daviddjabo7219 They need a dust bath. They need loose dirt and you can add ash from a fire. Add to that some Diatomaceous Earth so they get that spread around their body. Dust bathing is the way to let them get rid of mites or lice. Continue to check your birds each day to watch them. Look at the base of their feather shafts and around their vent. You will need to do this for a while. The Diatomaceous Earth (and dust bathing) will help kill the current mites or lice. There might be eggs that will hatch on them, so you'll need to do this for a while. Make sure to clean the coop, all roosts, and other spots where your chickens rest (and where they can spread lice or mites). For more info on dust bathing, see my video from a couple weeks ago. I hope this helps.

[@daviddjabo7219]

Or thank you for such a good explanation as a vet. I will try and thank you very much for this recipe a natural medicine.

[@JasonCunningham-p4v]

How often do you replace the pine shavings?

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

We clean out the coop and start with new shavings in the fall. We add until it gets to about 8" deep. The deep litter adds up, keeps the coop warm, and is great for the hens. We then clean it out in the spring and start over. Two complete cleanings each year. Hope this helps.

[@bellyacres3jillyandkerry281]

We use straw as the pine shavings can get ate and cause poopy butt. And we take the used straw and fill our raised beds with, and compost. Also NO smell with straw, seems the shavings don't help with odor, that's the experience for us anyway.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

It's interesting as I've never had a problem with poopy butt with any of my girls (after week 2). We don't have any smell issues as we use lots of straw (or shavings). It's great to hear everyone's stories and what is working well for you. Cheers!

[@christinao8284]

Can ahyone recommend where to purchase the medium coarse grain sand?

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I have heard to get it at a local quarry, so it is medium sand, not the play sand from stores. Sorry that I don't have a definite answer for you.

[@Chris-b4w8t]

I use sand for my quails but the dust drives me insane, it's the only thing I don't like about it. Other than that, it's super easy to clean and it doesn't have any odor or anything like that

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

We want the deep litter for the heating qualities in the winter. We'd need tons of sand for our barn. Lots and lots of it. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

Hemp is technically the best. It's way more absorbent, but it's like 3x the price of pine :(

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

You are correct. I was trying to look at the economical options. I really like the shavings for small spots. Thanks for stopping by to watch, and add your comments! Cheers Steven!

[@AreWeThereYet-2025]

Walnut shaving ? Cedar is bad, what about Walnut?

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

We use pine shavings and (for us) they are the best. Have never heard of anyone selling walnut shavings. Like hemp, it might be expensive. If you hear about them, let me know. Always trying to learn more!

[@AreWeThereYet-2025]

@@TheOldSwedesFarm I have a wood shop and milled Walnut as well as Cedar and pine etc. . All the wood shavings are free. I've seen on KZbin that Pine is toxic.

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

@@AreWeThereYet-2025 There is a health risk with the dust from pine shavings. We use pine shavings in our starter area in a cattle trough and also their coop outside. Both are very well ventilated to keep the dust to a minimum. The low cost and the absorbency of pine shavings make them the perfect fit for us.

[@nailog2062]

No coffee ground

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

I haven't been able to test out the grounds. I'm not convinced they are the best bedding for our girls. For the price, I'm sticking with the wood shavings. Cheers!

[@drawing4041]

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[@KireaLaero]

☾🧡👍🏻🔔The way you do the work gracefully - I am very proud of you. Thanks for going through the trouble and it's worth it. You have the absolute power to rise above any situation or struggle and transform yourself into the strongest and most beautiful version of yourself ever. Congratulations and best of luck for your promising future. Great job, you are amazing, you are important, you are special, you are unique, and you are valuable! Never give up, go ahead, fight for your dreams, everything will get better for you, I wish you good luck. You have my full support 🎁

[@TheOldSwedesFarm]

Thanks for watching and the very kind words! We'll keep pushing forward! Cheers!

[@zladatv]

*👍11🤝супер и привет от автора ютуб-канала "ZLADA-TV" тренера по футболу*