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Choosing the Best Bedding for Your Chickens: A Guide for Happy, Healthy Poultry
When it comes to keeping chickens, the right bedding isn’t just a matter of comfort—it’s essential for their health, hygiene, and overall wellbeing. Whether you’re caring for a handful of hens or managing a larger flock, selecting the best bedding can make daily care easier and help prevent common issues like respiratory problems, damp, and unpleasant odours.
Why Does Bedding Matter?
Bedding serves several key purposes in your chicken coop:
- Absorbs moisture: Keeps the coop dry, reducing the risk of mould and bacteria.
- Controls odour: Helps keep things smelling fresh.
- Provides insulation: Keeps chickens warm in winter and cool in summer.
- Encourages natural behaviours: Allows for scratching, dust bathing, and foraging.
What Makes Good Poultry Bedding?
When choosing bedding, consider:
- Absorbency: The more absorbent, the better.
- Dust levels: Low-dust options are best for respiratory health.
- Ease of cleaning: Bedding that’s simple to replace or compost.
- Comfort: Soft underfoot for your birds.
Our Top Bedding Picks at Chestnut Mill
We’ve curated a range of poultry bedding to suit every setup, but two products stand out as customer favourites:
1. Fresh Bed for Chickens
- Why we love it: Specially designed for chickens, Fresh Bed is super-absorbent, virtually dust-free, and easy to manage. Its natural composition helps control odours and keeps the coop fresh for longer. It’s also biodegradable, making it a sustainable choice for eco-conscious keepers.
- Best for: Chicken owners who want low-maintenance, effective bedding that keeps birds clean and comfortable.
2. Easichick Poultry Bedding
- Why we love it: Easichick is a recycled wood fibre bedding that’s dust-extracted and treated to be biosecure. It’s highly absorbent, quick to compost, and designed to minimise the risk of red mite infestations. Many keepers find it lasts longer than traditional shavings or straw.
- Best for: Anyone seeking a premium, hygienic bedding that’s kind to both chickens and the environment.
Bedding Tips for Chicken Keepers
- Clean little and often: Spot clean daily and replace bedding fully every week or two, depending on flock size.
- Keep it dry: Damp bedding can lead to health problems. If it’s wet, swap it out straight away.
- Compost used bedding: Both Fresh Bed and Easichick break down well in the compost heap, returning nutrients to your garden.
Explore Our Full Poultry Bedding Range
Every flock is different, so you might want to try a few options to see what works best for your chickens and your routine. Browse our full selection of poultry bedding here for more choices.
Need advice or have questions about poultry care?
Contact us at info@chestnutmill.co.uk or call 01256 578011—our friendly team is always happy to help.
Contact us at info@chestnutmill.co.uk or call 01256 578011—our friendly team is always happy to help.