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