Cleaning out coop - what to do with used pine shavings

[jpeter4223]

I throw mine in the compost! The manure adds extra minerals and breaks down nicely.

 

[Amber Wall]

I've been looking into hemp too. TSC sells them. Expensive indeed. Chewy also sells online.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...th-dookashi-odor-eliminator-10lbs-25l-hempd10

It seems like it takes a lot. Or can it be mixed with other materials?

 

[rosemarythyme]

It seems like it takes a lot. Or can it be mixed with other materials?

If you're using hemp you want it to be hemp only. One 33 lb bag lasts me about 18 months, but I only use it under the roosts which is about a 3'x6' area, and I only do 1 cleanout a year.

 

[SamIamNam786]

If you're using hemp you want it to be hemp only. One 33 lb bag lasts me about 18 months, but I only use it under the roosts which is about a 3'x6' area, and I only do 1 cleanout a year.

Hi! Thanks for all the info you've been posting. Im learning so much. so my coop for 3 EE is about 3.5 x 4.5, would one bale of hemp be enough? If i choose to NOT do deep litter, how often would I need to change it out? I have 2 laminate planks under a roosting bar, hoping they will poop onto it and I can clean that off 1-2x a week..but obviously they will poop also into the hemp. How often should I expect to clear out the hemp and redo it all? OR is it better to just add the whole bale and deep litter it? but then I would need a second bale to add onto it every few weeks, right?
Worried about not being able to use DE with hemp, how will I prevent mites? Can I use lime under the hemp?

 

[rosemarythyme]

so my coop for 3 EE is about 3.5 x 4.5, would one bale of hemp be enough?

I had to look this up: from Carolina Coops, 2 inches ≈ 30 sq. feet | 4 inches ≈ 15 sq. feet | 6 inches ≈ 10 sq. feet. So 1 33-lb bag would be 4" deep in your coop.

If i choose to NOT do deep litter, how often would I need to change it out? I have 2 laminate planks under a roosting bar, hoping they will poop onto it and I can clean that off 1-2x a week..but obviously they will poop also into the hemp. How often should I expect to clear out the hemp and redo it all? OR is it better to just add the whole bale and deep litter it? but then I would need a second bale to add onto it every few weeks, right?

Hard to say. I've never tried hemp in a smaller set up - generally you'd have to expect to do cleanouts more frequently, say every few weeks, but if the poop mostly lands on the planks and/or you do daily clean outs of poop, it may last quite a lot longer. Might have to just try it and see.

With my set up the poop from the roost all lands in the hemp and I scoop it out each morning, and add more hemp every few months as needed By the time the annual cleanout comes the hemp is still completely dry and usable as bedding, but for the sake of doing the cleanout I remove all bedding materials from the coop and start fresh (as the amount of dust build up over a year is pretty noticeable).

Worried about not being able to use DE with hemp, how will I prevent mites? Can I use lime under the hemp?

DE doesn't prevent mites. If you have a mite issue, you need pesticide like permethrin, elector PSP. If you don't, then those don't prevent them either, they only treat active infestations.

 

[PapaChick3n]

We throw ours into the 11.5 acres of woods