Bedding for linoleum floor coop?

[HopeSprings]

My shoop (shed/coop) is still on the drawing board, but I'm planning on a solid wall between the shed part and the coop part. I would think the shed part would get pretty messy without a solid wall.
I've been also thinking of adding to the outside wall a wide hinged lift door (3' wide, 6" tall) at floor level that bedding would be swept out of.

 

[frackmomma]

My shoop (shed/coop) is still on the drawing board, but I'm planning on a solid wall between the shed part and the coop part. I would think the shed part would get pretty messy without a solid wall.
I've been also thinking of adding to the outside wall a wide hinged lift door (3' wide, 6" tall) at floor level that bedding would be swept out of.

As long as there is adequate ventilation you should be fine! I wanted a chicken wire wall because my shed is pretty small - so I wanted an open feeling and for the chickens to be able to see me when I walk in. I'll be sure to post pictures once I'm done!

 

[aart]

My shoop (shed/coop)

Haha!! Love this word play!
Reminds me of my 'stoup' or 'stewp'...very thick soup.

 

[kwaple001]

If you can create a situation where you can use the deep litter method, I really recommend using American Hemp. It's expensive but it lasts so long before you have to change it that it's worth it. Start with at least 4 inches and as they poop, generally under the roosts, just throw new hemp on top of it or start with about 8-10 inches and just use a tined hoe or pitch fork to turn it over and stir it around about once a week. Depending on the number of hens you have you won't have to replace it for about a year - 18 months. It's composts during that time and it's great for your garden once you need to clean it out. It doesn't smell either. I've had mine in my coop since last July and it's still doing the job.

 

[Chicky63]

I'm a newby at this and setting up our coop - is the American Hemp used the same way Sweet PDZ? Do you need both?

 

[aart]

I'm a newby at this and setting up our coop - is the American Hemp used the same way Sweet PDZ? Do you need both?

No, not the same.
PDZ is the mineral zeolite, it absorbs ammonia.
Hemp is a dried plant, like hay, used as compost-able bedding.
They each have applications, together or separate, that can be used to manage chicken poop.

 

[sedonaron]

Hello!
To those of you who have a linoleum floored coop, what type of bedding do you use on the floor?
Thanks all!

We have straw on the linoleum of our duck coop. Works fine, it's probably at least an inch deep of straw.

 

[kwaple001]

I'm a newby at this and setting up our coop - is the American Hemp used the same way Sweet PDZ? Do you need both?

I’m not sure what Sweet PDZ is so I really can’t say for sure, but it’s mostly like shavings but much more absorbent. It comes in a extremely compacted bale covered in plastic. I bought mine on line. I also used plywood but covered mine with 1/4” HDP that I bought at Menards. It comes in 8x4 sheets like plywood and cuts with a regular circular saw blade. It’s completely impervious to moisture, which means it also will not absorb odors. We painted the plywood with a deck print just for good measure and once that dried screwed it down to the plywood on the bottom and one foot up all sides that wound contain the bedding. It might sound like overkill but I’d rather do it one and done then revisit doing the coop again a few years from now. Hope that helps. By the way. some were talking about predator proofing. I’d use hardware cloth on the entire project; we also used 2 ft tall green wire all around the perimeter of the coop. Staple it to the ground frame and lay it flat all around the run and coop area and use 6-Inch Garden Landscape Staples Stakes Pin to secure it. Super easy and effective. I’ve seen all sorts of tracks around my coop and run but nothing has ever gotten inside. The only 2 hens I’ve ever lost have been to a hawk while I let them out to free range, so they’re confined until the weather changes and I can chicken sit. I have no idea if that’ll deter a hawk but I’m hoping. Any tried and true ideas on that subject would be welcome.

 

[nancylee679]

Hello!
To those of you who have a linoleum floored coop, what type of bedding do you use on the floor?
Thanks all!

I have a linoleum floor and stared out with pine shavings but didn’t like that so switched to play sand with a little diatomaceous earth mixed in. I can scoop the chicken poop out with a kitty litter scoop.

 

[Emmalinia]

We used construction grade sand on ours - a coarse sand. You have to wear a mask when cleaning, but cleaning is easier and seemed a lot healthier for our chickens than shavings/wood chips in our experience, as long as there’s proper ventilation (important no matter what). As soon as we switched over to wood chips we had a HUGE mite infestation problem. Biggest mistake we made, so I’m pro-sand lol.