Bedding suggestions

[christinehalt]

Hi! We are about to transition our chicks out to their new coop. I am really struggling with what I want to do for bedding/litter. Our coop sits above the run and is about 5'x5. To access the run (always open) there is a large opening with a ramp in the middle of the coop floor. I want to put something down but don't want all of my litter falling into the run on a daily basis. I need some suggestions. Am I thinking too much about this?

Ideally I'd like to use sand so that I can scoop out droppings with a mesh-like shovel but I'm also really worried that will just be too messy with the ramp access in my coop floor. I don't imagine straw would be any cleaner. Help!

Pic of my half finished coop!

 

[christinehalt]

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

No, not overthinking, your gut instinct is good.

That's the problem with pop doors in floors...
......it also eats up valuable floor space in small coops like yours.

I'd seriously consider a pop door in the wall of coop,
and a bigger, taller run that you don't have to crawl into.
Tough decision now that you're so close, but easier to change it now than later.

 

[rbreininger]

Don't use sand. Use SweetPDZ. In granular form, not the powder. You just have to scoop the poop out with a kitty litter style scoop. It keeps the ammonia smell down.

Build a small box around the opening to the ramp, 2x4 should work to keep the SweetPDZ from falling down the opening.

This might keep you from having to revamp your whole project.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Don't use sand. Use SweetPDZ. In granular form, not the powder. You just have to scoop the poop out with a kitty litter style scoop. It keeps the ammonia smell down.

Build a small box around the opening to the ramp, 2x4 should work to keep the SweetPDZ from falling down the opening.

This might keep you from having to revamp your whole project.

PDZ is the BEST thing ever, between that & fermenting my feed, I'm in heaven

 

[christinehalt]

So the PDZ is safe for composting?

 

[Ohmyheart]

Don't use sand. Use SweetPDZ. In granular form, not the powder. You just have to scoop the poop out with a kitty litter style scoop. It keeps the ammonia smell down.

Build a small box around the opening to the ramp, 2x4 should work to keep the SweetPDZ from falling down the opening.

This might keep you from having to revamp your whole project.

I was looking into sand but my husband thinks the amount of sand would be too heavy for our coop. Are you using PDZ alone as the litter? Is it lighter then sand?

I'm googling the stuff now but so far not much info on it as a litter.

 

[rbreininger]

It is definitely lighter than sand. Also sand absorbs moisture and retains it then won't dry out in the coop very easily.

I don't worry about composting it as very little sticks to the poop that goes into the pile.

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x rbreininger Are you using it in a "poop board"? So happy I learned of it (BYC) cause it saves ALOT of cleaning. I put Sweet PDZ (in the horse section of a feed store) in my poop board about an inch deep, mix a some DE in and done, a bag will last a very long time. Do a search on the internet "Sweet PDZ"....

www.sweetpdz.com/images/SweetPDZBrochure2014.pdf

Fermenting your feed cuts down on the poop and firmer (easier scooping) & not so stinky. Plus less waste of feed with them scratching it all out of the feeder. There's several threads on here about it.

Using DLM/shavings & I'm glad I did! Between the poop board (where majority of their poop ends up) and FF I don't have a problem with smell (knock on wood) nor flies. I just add more shavings as needed, having dirt floor (hard clay) that they've been tilling for me, I shovel out as needed to fill low spots in my yard or toss into the compost pile along with the poop/PDZ that I scoop daily.

 

[Ohmyheart]

Thank you both. I'm looking more into this option.