Anyone use Koop Clean?

[ThatFarmerChick]

I don't see why one couldn't concoct their own version of Koop Clean, say with:

* Pine Shavings (or sand)
and
* Zeolite: https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/12134// ($13 for a 50lbs bag, aka $0.26/pound)
or https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/12136// ($7 for a 22lbs bag)

This would last a VERY long time. Koop Klean sounds like a great product and it will be ideal for some folks to pay for it already mixed and others would like to be as frugal as possible.

Yes, you need to join Azure Standard, which isn't everyone's bag of tea because it's not as convenient as just running down to the nearest big box store, nor do they deliver everywhere in the USA (most everywhere but the east coast). But this rather generic zeolite is the same thing as Sweet PDZ, at a much lesser price.

Bear River Zeolite:

Volcanic rock called zeolite is mined in southern Idaho from a huge deposit at the Bear River Zeolite Mine. It has the ability to hold up to 55% of its weight in water in channel ways. It also has the ability to hold nitrogen, potassium, and calcium in its crystal structure where they are plant accessible but not water-soluble. This creates a time-release mechanism to prevent pollution and the burning of the plant by nitrogen.

"FARM ANIMALS - to absorb moisture and deodorize horse stalls, pig pens, chicken coups, rabbit hutches, etc."


...Ah, that's what happened, my chickens have formed a coup!!

My husband has said the same thing. We are working on getting Azure Standard where we are in MD. He is considering making our own. I am still ordering Koop Clean until he does and gets it to work as well. It is harder to find super dry, hay clippings or heat treated hay. The heat treated hay is part of the magic.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

We cannot do too much sand. We compost everything.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

If I am saying something wrong with not using sand in the compost please correct me.

 

[pdirt]

I'm not a composting expert, but I don't think a little bit of sand would hurt, perhaps no more than 5 or 10%. Not sure how much sand you're speaking of.

But wood shavings would work and come already heat treated.

Another idea would be to make bokashi from regular hay. You'd probably want a large plastic or metal barrel, one that can be fairly sealed from air. Making bokashi involves fermenting the hay with a special soil based probiotic called EM (effective microorganisms). I would think the fermentation would take care of lice or mite issues, plus the bokashi would help compost your chicken manure. Not sure what your setup is like if you have room for something like that or not.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

I'm not a composting expert, but I don't think a little bit of sand would hurt, perhaps no more than 5 or 10%. Not sure how much sand you're speaking of.

But wood shavings would work and come already heat treated.

Another idea would be to make bokashi from regular hay. You'd probably want a large plastic or metal barrel, one that can be fairly sealed from air. Making bokashi involves fermenting the hay with a special soil based probiotic called EM (effective microorganisms). I would think the fermentation would take care of lice or mite issues, plus the bokashi would help compost your chicken manure. Not sure what your setup is like if you have room for something like that or not.

Thanks. My husband is making bokashi from using coffee grinds and brown sugar. There are other ingredients, but I let him handle that. We use 55 gallon drums for everything and turn them twice a day.
The only dirt that we use in the compost is a small amount of forest floor. It helps add bacteria that is useful in the compost process. I guess that plain sand would defeat the purpose. Like you I am not an expert, but have been making compost with family and friends for almost 3 decades. Everyone has their own recipe and sand has never been a component that I have seen. Other than the avoidance of it. I do not think that it has the properties that are found in the rich soil used to begin compost that is not even needed. Soil/forest floor is just an activator.

 

[pdirt]

Quote:
Bokashi doesn't need to be turned. In fact, it's better if you don't. You don't want air getting in there. With regular composting you do want air, but not with bokashi. But maybe you are using the term bokashi in a different manner than I am familiar with. I've only known the term in regards to fermenting organic materials with the EM.

I forgot to add in my previous message that once you've made bokashi hay, it will be damp. Then you can spread it out on a tarp on a warm, dry day (or 3) and let it dry out. I did this with wheat bran 18 months ago and still am using the stuff. It will store for a long time. This process might be a good alternative to heat treating since that sounds like it would require some expensive setup to dry the hay without starting a fire.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Bokashi doesn't need to be turned. In fact, it's better if you don't. You don't want air getting in there. With regular composting you do want air, but not with bokashi. But maybe you are using the term bokashi in a different manner than I am familiar with. I've only known the term in regards to fermenting organic materials with the EM.

I forgot to add in my previous message that once you've made bokashi hay, it will be damp. Then you can spread it out on a tarp on a warm, dry day (or 3) and let it dry out. I did this with wheat bran 18 months ago and still am using the stuff. It will store for a long time. This process might be a good alternative to heat treating since that sounds like it would require some expensive setup to dry the hay without starting a fire.

Lol. No fire starting here. I believe your term is right for bokashi. Sorry. It is not turned. That is why I leave it alone. Honestly all that stuff I just help with. It is compreshed and drained. My husband always says it should smell like kraut. If not it is not rt. The compost bins are tured in the morning and at night. The new compost before going in the bins gets started in a box where it can be stirred and mixed better. Then we transport the starter stuff into a drum (which ever was emptied last). Once again sorry for the mix up. This is why I really stick to the animals...not a vet either, but glad to have a sister as one.
If there is still a good reason out there for sand to be in compost I would like to know the science behind it, to understand it better, and use sand in a new coop that is being built.

 

[kateseidel]

More than a year using the chopped forage, still totally in love with the stuff.

We gave up the poop boards after about a year, too much work. With the forage on the ground, I pick up the top layer of poop from under to roosts once a week and toss them, re-fluff the chopped forage and I'm done. Takes maybe 5-10 minutes. About every three months I replace everything - so I am using a bag of forage every 3 months or so. I keep the bedding fairly deep so no one slips jumping up or down (it is about 4" thick).

The ladies prefer hay in their nest boxes (after trying everything - shavings, hay, sand, forage). There is something about the hay they really like for nesting!

Keesha and the 2014 chicks - this bedding is about 2 months old.



No more poop boards! This bedding was just a few days old

 

[Cindy in PA]

I am still on the fence about this stuff. Used it in the summer & loved it, but it is expensive. In the summer I usually use pine chips. In the winter I would layer pine chips over pine horse pellets. That kept the coop much drier for the six months between coop cleaning, but the pellets are hard to shovel out when they turn to sawdust. In November when I cleaned I used just pine chips & within 6 weeks I got the winter ammonia smell. I had a bag of Koop Klean I didn't use in the summer & dumped it in last week & the coop is so fresh. What I really like is that after they mixed up the chips & the straw, the coop floor is really bouncy! Think I may use this combo from now on in the winter & bite the bullet & use Koop Klean in the summer, as the straw is much better when throwing it on the garden. Chips take forever to break down & tie up nitrogen. I wish is was cheaper here. It's normally like $20/bag.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

More than a year using the chopped forage, still totally in love with the stuff. We gave up the poop boards after about a year, too much work. With the forage on the ground, I pick up the top layer of poop from under to roosts once a week and toss them, re-fluff the chopped forage and I'm done. Takes maybe 5-10 minutes. About every three months I replace everything - so I am using a bag of forage every 3 months or so. I keep the bedding fairly deep so no one slips jumping up or down (it is about 4" thick). The ladies prefer hay in their nest boxes (after trying everything - shavings, hay, sand, forage). There is something about the hay they really like for nesting! Keesha and the 2014 chicks - this bedding is about 2 months old. No more poop boards! This bedding was just a few days old

Thanks for sharing.You are right about hay in the nest boxes. I think that is why our flock loves Koop Clean.