

Straw vs. Shavings | My Choice for Chicken Coop Litter

When you raise chickens, it's important to learn the difference between the various coop bedding choices - hay, straw and shavings. I'll teach you, and also share my choice for chicken coop litter.



It's relatively expensive here in Maine - but only the best for my flock. It keeps them warm and happy and smells so good! And when I clean the coop out, I use the old straw to mulch the garden. 



And straw is SO much less dusty than shavings and drier than hay so it doesn't mold....and it's soft for the ducks and geese to sleep on, the chickens to walk on. And it's hollow so it traps and holds air to provide nice insulation.

I am, and likely always will be, #teamstraw

Straw vs. Shavings | My Choice for Chicken Coop Litter

But a bit of personal history....




Advantages of Shavings?


  • fairly inexpensive
  • already on hand
  • nice pine smell
  • minor pest repelling properties in the pine









...so just keep in mind that the shavings dust could be a contributing factor.

So here's the rundown on some common choices for coop bedding:



Pine Needles



NEVER use hay as coop bedding. Hay is livestock feed, straw is livestock bedding. Hay is too "green" and tends to harbor mold and bacteria which is extremely detrimental to poultry health.




Update: I have heard from lots of you who have decided to try sand and then lived to regret the decision. For all the reasons above and more. "It's stinky,hard to remove, the chickens don't like it, what do I do with it when I do clean it out - and it's really cold in the winter"

Straw vs. Shavings


  • straw is hollow so it traps air and works as an insulator on the floor of the coop
  • smells fresh and clean in the coop 
  • about the same price as shavings (this might not be true, depending on where you live, it's certainly not true in Maine where we now live, but still worth it!) 
  • no dust
  • the chickens like to scratch in the straw and eat the chaff 
  • decomposes very quickly once discarded in our compost pile or used to mulch the garden


 And I am convinced that straw is best for them.


Our ducks and geese can make nice warm nests for their eggs and sleep on a soft bed of straw.

And again, to reiterate, no, mites and lice won't hide in the straw. I've been using it for years and never had any issues with parasites. 

But if you're concerned, a sprinkle of diatomaceous earth (DE) or lime on the floor of the coop and some occasionally sprinkled over the straw and raked in will help not only control bugs, but also dry the poop and reduce the chance of ammonia fumes.

So to summarize....


Pine needles (pine straw)
Pine chips (large shavings)
Clipped dry grass
Dead leaves
Shredded paper or newspaper (B&W only - no color or glossy sheets)


Cedar chips or shavings (can cause respiratory issues)
Sawdust (too dusty, causes respiratory issues)
Hay (too green, can mold)
Sand (harbors pathogens, no insulation in winter)

Pin This! 

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeNewsletter 

Buy Fresh Eggs Daily items from Chewy.com