No homestead chicken raiser likes to think that the litter they have in the chicken coop can actually be harmful to the their flock. However, no matter what coop litter you choose there is always a health hazard that needs to be addressed. Coop litter dangers can pose a threat to the health and longevity of your flock. But don’t worry, there are only 5 main coop litter dangers to be aware of, and preventing them is just as simple as proper coop maintenance and daily cleaning. These five coop litter dangers are ones that you should be aware of when choosing the right litter for your homestead chicken coop!

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#1. Moisture

Moisture is the ever present enemy in the chicken coop. It doesn’t matter what coop litter you choose, moisture will always be a danger that you must look out for, prevent, and be on top of when it is present. Moist, damp litter provides the perfect habitat for harmful pathogens to thrive and grow. Not to mention the countless bacteria who also need moisture to proliferate. Damp litter can turn a clean coop into a musty, moldy chicken house in no time at all!

Moisture in the chicken coop litter is dangerous to the health of your flock because it promotes the growth of harmful bacteria and pathogens, which can cause disease. It can also cause the litter to mold. Mold spores are not healthy for your flock to consume, breath in, or be around.

Moisture in the chicken coop is usually caused by three things: chicken droppings, spilled water, and inadequate ventilation. A well-built coop that is properly cleaned and maintained, combined with good chicken management can usually solve the problem of moisture being a hazard in the chicken coop.

Preventing Moisture Dangers:

• Any Litter- Have a method of daily removing the flock’s nightly droppings from the litter. Nightly droppings can accumulate fast, so removing them every day will make your coop litter last longer and will make for a healthier environment for your flock.
• Straw, Wood Shavings, Natural Litter- For litters that absorb and compost, weekly stir in any droppings and rotate the litter to promote composting. The weekly turning also prevents clumps of droppings from over-saturating the litter and causing moisture and ammonia hazards.
• Sand, Shredded Paper– Have a method of removing the flock’s daily droppings on a weekly or daily basis. Cleaning up the droppings from the litter will make the litter last longer too. A kitty litter scoop works well for cleaning droppings from sand-based litter.
• Water Management– Locate your flock’s water source out in the chicken coop enclosure. This will prevent any accidental spills from dampening and oversaturating the coop litter. During the winter, if you have to keep the water in the coop to prevent it from freezing, take careful measures to eliminate spills.
• When Moisture Happens– Thoroughly clean up any water spills from the coop litter. Remove any damp, saturated litter and replace it with fresh, clean litter. The same goes for droppings that accumulate in the litter and cause litter mats to form.
• Ventilation– Ensuring good ventilation in your chicken coop will help manage the moisture in the chicken coop air. Moisture present from respiration (from chickens breathing) and evaporation (from water source and droppings) can be managed by having good coop ventilation.

#2. Dust

Another coop litter danger that you could argue is a hazard for any coop litter is the danger of dust. Dust in and of itself is not dangerous, however, an accumulation of dust that then gets riled every day does become dangerous. Dust in the chicken coop can pose a serious danger of causing respiratory issues in the flock. When the small dust particles get inhaled they can cause irritation and even damage to a chicken’s sensitive respiratory system.

While some litters naturally produce dust, you must also take into account that chickens also naturally produce dust. Not to mention that dust naturally settles from the environment as well (ever wonder why you have to dust your house?). Pretty much, dust is an ever present coop litter hazard that must be kept under control so that it does not pose a health risk to your flock.

Dust irritation can cause your hens to cough, sneeze, have rattily breathing, watery eyes or nostrils, and/or wheezing. There are many chicken respiratory diseases that also have the same symptoms, so observe whether these signs occur after dust has been riled up in the coop and how many flock members exhibit the symptoms. If you suspect something more serious than just dust irritation, then do more research and observation to make an accurate diagnosis!

Preventing dust dangers in the coop is not just as simple as choosing one coop litter over another. Wood shavings notoriously get a bad rap for being dusty, which can be true since the wood shavings do come with some dust themselves. However, no matter what litter you use, you should familiarize yourself with these coop management tasks that will keep dust dangers to a minimum in your coop.

Preventing Dust Dangers:

• Wood Shavings– Choose large flake wood shavings. Large flake wood shavings will have minimal amounts of small particles and dust. Don’t use sawdust!
• Straw– Make sure you are using straw, not hay. Straw has hollow shafts and is somewhat courser, which means it is less apt to create dust or contain respiratory-irritating particles.
• Sand– Always choose construction grade sand, which has larger particles and is less likely to be dusty.
• Weekly Cleaning– Set aside time to dust and air-out the coop once a week during nice weather. You don’t have to dust the whole coop, just spots that are likely for dust accumulation: shelves, ledges, windows, tops of the nesting boxes
• Yearly Cleaning- Do a thorough cleaning of the chicken coop at least once a year! This may mean scrubbing, vacuuming, dusting, and getting dirty but it will make for a clean, dust-free coop in the end!
• Vacuum, Don’t Dust– I have found that vacuuming is the most effective way to clear the coop of dust. Instead of riling up the dust just to have it settle again, you can actually remove the dust by vacuuming it up.
• When to Clean– Try to choose times to dust/clean/vacuum when your flock is not in the chicken coop. Prevent exposing your flock to the riled up dust whenever you are cleaning.

#3. Consumption

This is one coop litter danger that you should be aware of but that you shouldn’t have to worry too much about. Chickens shouldn’t naturally want to eat the coop litter, no matter what litter you use in the coop. However, you may hear people advising, “don’t use straw because it causes impacted crop”, or “don’t use sand because your chickens may eat it and get impacted crop”.

Consuming a lot of sand/grit or small pieces of fibrous materials (like straw or wood shavings) can pose a health risk to your hens. Materials that are hard to break down will remain in the crop and cause impacted crop. If you are using shredded paper as an emergency coop litter, you will want to be especially careful that your chickens don’t get too curious about the paper shreds and eat them. Paper that contains a lot of ink could pose a serious health risk.

One litter that your flock might be enticed to eat is natural litter, like dry leaves or pine needles. However, your chickens will more than likely not eat the litter particles, they will probably just sort through the material looking for good stuff to eat.

As long as you are managing your flock correctly, you shouldn’t have a problem with them eating the chicken coop litter. Being aware that there is a chance your flock might consume some of their litter means you can put preventative measures in place to ensure your flock doesn’t accidentally consume too much litter.

Preventing Consumption Dangers:

• Any Litter– Choose a litter and stick with it. Since chickens are curious, they may be more apt to consume a new type of litter if they aren’t adjusted to it being used in their coop.
• Straw– Make sure you use straw and not hay, also get straw that has longer pieces and is not chopped straw. Your chickens may be interested in the grain heads within the straw but they shouldn’t want to eat the large straw pieces.
• Sand- You may see your chickens consuming a few particles of sand occasionally. That is okay, they are just gathering grit to store in their crop to aid with digestion.
• Wood Shavings– Choose large flake wood shavings, not small flake, medium flake, or sawdust.
• Natural Litter– Don’t chop or shred the natural litter, that way there are not lots of small pieces that your chickens may accidentally consume.
• Shredded Paper- Use neutral paper shreds and only use shredded paper as an emergency coop litter.
• Feed Spillage- One reason why a chicken may consume too much litter is if they are eating up spilled feed and consume the litter right along with the feed. Try to prevent feed spillage, beaking out (have the feeder at back height), or move the feeder out to a covered enclosure during the day.
• Treats- As with the spilled feed, treats that are spread in the litter may cause the chickens to accidentally eat the litter along with the treats. Give your flock treats that are easier to identify and avoid sprinkling treats in their coop litter.

#4. Harmful Components

Some coop litters actually may contain some harmful components. Obviously you want to avoid litters that really pose a health hazard to your flock due to their components. Of the most popular coop litters to choose from, including sand, wood shavings, and natural litter, there are different kinds of each type of litter. Choosing the best, safest option will help keep the coop a safe place for your flock.

If you choose sand as your litter option, make sure you get construction grade sand. Play sand is finer and often contains chemicals and other harmful substances. Construction grade sand is courser, doesn’t have anything added to it, and is a great litter option for the coop.

When choosing wood shavings, you may have the option of choosing evergreen shavings or non-evergreen shavings. This just refers to the types of trees these shavings are derived from. Shavings from evergreen trees often contain a toxic oil residue. It is thought that cedar shavings have the highest concentration of this residue. Pine shavings may also contain the residue, but it is generally accepted that they are a safer wood shaving option to use with poultry. Aspen shavings are a non-evergreen shaving option that would eliminate any toxic residue risk.

With natural litters, you have to be careful of the tannin levels in the litter. Oak is often associated with high levels of tannins. If you are collecting dry leaves to use a natural litter, try to avoid oak leaves. Also steer clear of any natural litters that may be contaminated by chemicals or pesticides.

Here are some more ways to ensure the type of litter you choose for the coop is a safe option.

Preventing Litter Dangers:

• Sand- Choose construction grade sand.
• Wood Shavings- Choose large flake non-evergreen shavings. Pine shavings are also a safe option.
• Straw- Make sure you get straw and not hay, and always make sure the bales are dry and free from contaminants.
• Natural Litters- Avoid dry oak leaves since they may contain high levels of harmful tannins. Choose litter that is completely dry to avoid high concentrations of mold spores. Always make sure the litter is from a chemical and pesticide free source.
• Shredded Paper– Use shredded paper only as an emergency coop litter and try to use shredded paper with minimal ink.
• Any Litter- Any litter you choose should be completely dry, free from chemicals or pesticides, have none or mild aroma, and be free from tannins, toxic residues, and mold.

#5. Ammonia

Last but definitely not least… ammonia is a coop litter danger that can become an issue no matter what litter you use. Ammonia is the build-up of a gas that is released when bacteria decompose chicken droppings. This smelly gas is not only unpleasant to smell but it also causes health issues. Ammonia can be present in the chicken coop litter any time there is an unattended build-up of chicken droppings.

Ammonia cause irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. It can actually be toxic to inhale in large quantities. Even the presence of a small amount of ammonia can cause chickens to stop eating, stop laying, and can cause conjunctivitis and respiratory problems. Breathing in ammonia can give a burning sensation, which is one way you can test for ammonia in your coop.

Ammonia is also a heavy gas. This means that is will be the most highly concentrated near the floor of the coop. Between high concentrations at low levels and the small body mass of a chicken (compared to humans), ammonia can pose a real health risk to your flock.

Ammonia is not specific to any one litter. It can build up from chicken droppings no matter what litter you use. Good cleaning practices and proper coop litter management can help prevent ammonia build-up in the coop.

Preventing Ammonia Dangers:

• Remove nightly accumulations of droppings on a daily basis. Droppings boards or poop trays help immensely with this chore!
• In litters that don’t compost (like sand), remove daily droppings on a regular basis.
• Always remove any piles of droppings or daily clean areas that tend to get heavy deposits of droppings.
• Encourage your chickens to be outside! Having a roomy, entertaining enclosure or free-ranging your flock can encourage outdoor activity.
• Locate the feeder and water outside to encourage your hens to spend a majority of their day out of their coop.
• Have good coop ventilation. Good ventilation will help with air flow within the coop and can remove ammonia-laden air.
• Do a complete litter change out on a regular basis:
  • Sand- once every 2-3 years (if it is cleaned on a daily basis)
  • Wood Shavings- once every 3-4 months, sometimes only twice a year under good management
  • Straw- twice a year under good management
  • Natural Litter- at least 3-4 times a year
  • Shredded Paper- only use under emergency situations

Manage & Prevent

Being aware of the different coop litter dangers that can be present in all the types of chicken coop litter options is important for raising a healthy flock! While each litter has its potential hazard, there are plenty of ways to properly manage the coop litter and your flock to prevent any dangers from becoming serious. Choosing the correct type of litter and daily cleaning up droppings are two things you can do that will go a long way in preventing coop litter dangers from causing health problems in your flock.

When deciding on the right litter for your region and your chicken coop cleaning routine, make sure you read all about Choosing the Right Coop Litter!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for weekly homestead poultry tips! Our weekly modern pioneer newsletter provides you with helpful information for raising your flock naturally on the homestead!

by Alexa