What’s the best bedding for a duck coop?


Ducks are remarkably talented at making a mess.

A well-designed setup will not make ducks tidy—but it can make the daily muck easier to manage while protecting their feet and respiratory health.

Large-flake pine shavings used as duck-coop bedding

The best bedding we’ve found for duck coops

After testing leaves, straw, cedar, aspen, pine needles, hemp, and other options, we’ve found that screened, low-dust, large-flake pine shavings are the best bedding for our duck coop.

They’re economical, gentle on duck flippers, hide odors, and work well with the modified deep-litter method we use in our coops.

Compare all the duck-bedding options

Three more ways to improve the setup

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May your ducks be very happy and your boots be somewhat clean,

Aaron & Susan

Tyrant Farms

We're educators and bloggers focused on the topics of raising pet/backyard ducks, no-dig organic gardening & rare edible plants, foraging, wild recipes, and related topics. Subscribe and join thousands of newsletter readers every week!

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