Choosing the Right Bedding for Your Chickens

One consideration when raising chickens is what sort of bedding you are going to provide for them. A factor in making this decision is what you are going to do with it when you have cleaned out your chicken coop. If you are a keen gardener then the bedding with the chicken manure will make a useful addition to your compost heap. There are basically three options:

1. Straw - generally quite cheap. Rots down well. Can get a little messy in the winter months.
2. Wood shavings - Generally clean. Bit more expensive. Takes much longer to rot down.
3. Shredded newspaper - extremely cheap. Rots down well, but can get very messy if not cleaned out regularly.

Making sure your chickens have a clean coop ensures that they are at their best and that they continue to be productive.