Below is a list of the many reasons that pine shavings can make a good bedding for the coop.
Pine shavings:
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Are dry and absorbent
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Are cozy and comfortable for chickens
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Can be used for the deep litter method
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Can be composted and used on gardens
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Have insulating properties
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Are low in cost
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Are widely available
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Are easy to store
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Are lightweight
Pro #1: Pine shavings are dry and absorbent bedding
Compared to most other bedding types, pine shavings are dry and absorbent, which is incredibly important for coop bedding.
Absorbency is one of the most important characteristics you want in chicken coop bedding. Chicken poop is very moist, and if your bedding isn’t very absorbent, it will turn to a stinking, rotting, slimy mess in no time.
The more absorbent a bedding material is, the less smelly your coop will be, and the longer you can go without changing bedding. Pine shavings, however, aren’t the most absorbent bedding, not even close.
When looking at the top three contenders for “best chicken coop bedding” (i.e., pine shavings, straw, and sand), pine shavings are intermediate in their absorbency. They tend to stay drier than straw, but they are considerably more moisture-rich than sand.
When you have sand in your coop, the poop and sand seem to dry out very quickly. Besides keeping the smell down, this also means there’s less moisture in the coop, and the chickens are cleaner. Yep, that’s right, your birds are actually cleaner themselves on sand. Let me explain why.
When you use pine shavings (or any other organic bedding) in your coop, the poop takes a while to dry out, and your chickens inevitably step in it. They carry it around with them on their feet, sometimes a lot of it. They also soil their nesting boxes and eggs with these poopy feet.
And your chickens will get filthy in another way. They will dust bathe in their pine shaving bedding. It doesn’t matter if your chickens have wonderful dust bathing material just outside the coop, or even in a container inside the coop, some of them will occasionally dust bathe in the bedding.
So, yeah, they get covered in whatever is in the bedding. In the case of pine shavings and other organic bedding, this includes wet poop. The poop doesn’t usually stick to them during the dust bath, but they’ve still bathed in it.
This is just something to consider—when you’re using organic bedding, like pine shavings, you will have a lot of wet poop in the coop. Again, pine shavings are a more absorbent bedding type than most other organic materials, which means this problem is only compounded in these other materials.
Pro #2: Pine shavings are a cozy and comfortable bedding for chickens
When you put fresh pine shavings in your coop, your coop has a wonderful feel to it. The pine shavings are dry, soft, and clean.
Your chickens will be super excited when you first put the shavings in. They will love walking around on the shavings, scratching in them, and even laying down in them.
Whenever I empty a coop and fill it with new shavings, my chickens will even lay eggs in the shavings. Although you don’t want chickens laying eggs on the floor, this only lasts for a few days. It’s a symbol of just how much chickens love fresh, soft bedding.
The freshness of pine shavings does wear off pretty quickly, usually within a few days, unless you have a very large coop with very few chickens soiling the bedding. Some people with smaller coops will choose to change their pine shavings bedding once or twice a week to retain the freshness. Their chickens are undoubtedly grateful!
Pro #3 Pine shavings are excellent for the deep litter method
Many chicken keepers, particularly homesteaders and those living in rural areas, will be interested in using the deep litter method.
In this method, you typically will only change the bedding in your coop once or twice a year. When the bedding starts to get moist or stinky, you simply add more bedding to it and mix it in, rather than replacing the old bedding.
People use this method because (a) it keeps their coops slightly warmer in the winter (heat is released during the bacterial breakdown of the bedding) and (b) the bedding can later be used as a rich compost for the garden.
Pine shavings are one of the best bedding types you can use for the deep litter method. Straw is also an excellent option. For more on straw, see my article, Using straw in the coop.
Pro #4: Composted pine shavings can be used on your garden
Even if you don’t use the deep litter method, you can throw your used pine shavings onto your compost pile. Pine shavings compost beautifully. Many chicken keepers use the finished product on their gardens.
Pro #5: Pine shaving bedding insulates
Pine shavings do provide some coop insulation, and may help keep your coop slightly warmer in the winter. However, I’ve found that if your coop is properly ventilated, it’s going to be cold no matter what.
Pro #6: Pine shavings are low in cost
Depending on where you live, pine shavings may be the cheapest bedding material you can find (other than free, less absorbent materials like dried leaves and dry, untreated grass clippings).
Pro #7: Pine shavings are widely available
Pine shavings can be found in almost every farm supply store. I buy mine at my local D&B. You can also buy them on Amazon, but as of the time of this writing, they are more expensive. I’ve bought these pine shavings on Amazon in the past (my farm store was temporarily out for a couple of months). Click here to check their current price.
Pro #8: Pine shavings are easy to store
Typically, you buy pine shavings in a plastic bag. You can get very large bags at your local farm store, or you can buy small bags online, like these pine shavings on Amazon. Whatever is left over, you can store in your garage, or anywhere that’s dry and above the ground (you don’t want rodents getting in them).
In this regard, pine shavings are much more convenient than straw, in which you may need a separate enclosed, well ventilated shed or facility for storage. This is because straw often only comes in large bales. (Although, you can buy bagged straw online as well.)
Pro # 9: Pine shavings are lightweight
Unlike sand, pine shavings are very lightweight, and filling your coop with them is very easy.
Straw is also lightweight initially, but it gets really clumped up and heavy with manure and moisture after being in the coop. Because of this, soiled straw can be heavy to move out of the coop. Pine shavings, on the other hand, stay fairly lightweight, even when soiled, so emptying your coop is much easier.
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