Shavings or straw?

I use a broom and dust pan to clean up shaving I personally find shavings a lot easier.

Shavings here too. I use a stall fork and then broom and dustpan . I use medium size flakes, I don’t like the shavings that are like sawdust they are a lot harder to clean up. I also put a layer of PDZ under the shavings for odor control.
Straw to me is so messy, carries lice sometimes and is just harder to dispose of. Shavings compost well and can be burned if they pile up too high.

Shavings here. We use a super large shovel to scoop ours up.

I use straw in one large stall for them all through the winter. It just seems warmer and easier to bed down in. I use PDZ and barn lime as a base and sprinkle those in as I rake and clean it throughout the winter. I clean the wet and dirty spots I can see and add more straw pretty much daily. Once winter is over, it’s just the plain dirt floor, which I sweep to clean. I do keep straw and dropped hay in one spot all year, encouraging them to pee in that spot. It works 70% of the time.

We use pine shavings here. Easier to clean and no fear or mites hitching a ride in with straw.

I’ve always used straw but it jumped up so high this year I used shavings. I really like the shavings! It’s a lot more absorbent to me and easier to store.
I get a plastic leaf rake and rake and shovel it. I had used the fine shavings years ago and that was terrible and made me cringe about using shavings this year but it’s really nice.
I do think straw is warmer, but it’s not super cold here so no big deal and I usually scatter the straw in the field and use it breaks down and also still allows the grass to grow threw. That doesn’t happen with the shavings so I have to pile it in a large pile in one spot so I don’t kill my pasture off.

Shaving and straw.

I use both. I don't like how shavings don't seem as cozy for the goats, but straw alone really get soaked really easily when they get peed on. So I do a good layer of lime, about three inches of pine shavings, and then a good layer of straw on top of that. Tip: I really think that you waste less bedding when you use more. I know that sounds backwards but when you don't use enough it just gets soaked right away. More bedding doesn't allow pee to spread out, and that's a good thing.

We use both throughout the winter. I like straw for kidding season because it doesn't get stuck to wet baby goats and gooey girl parts like the shavings do. In the summer they just have bare dirt and I sweep it daily.

Thanks for the info I'll give shavings a try!

I wondered if my girls eat shavings .Should I still put them down ? Thank You

The only way to know is try and watch them. Mine don't eat them. They may take a little nibble to discover what they are, but they don't chow down on them like they do straw.🙄

Well they eat them 😑🙄

Of course they do. Trees are goats natural food. They will quit once they have walked around and pooped.
I'm a believer in putting an old log chunk in the pen to allow them to chew up wood naturally.

I use what used to be called cedar tags with fir shavings over them.

Yep, sometimes they do.

I'm from UK, and use shredded hemp bedding called Aubiose. It's about 12 x more absorbent than straw and keeps smell down well and is pretty economical. I'm disabled and it's loads easier for me to shovel out when needed, or to top up. It rots down in a few weeks and makes great garden compost.. Goats make a little well in it to sleep, but they also sleep up on a bench sometimes.

That sounds amazing.

Wow, that would be nice to have.

I use straw. It drys out quickly when soiled on. I find it easier to use as well. Our shavings around here can get so dusty. And my goats seem to like curling up in it.