coop floor

[geareduplyn]

Quote:
You mean shavings ? You say pellets , and I think you are referring to laying pellets .... LOL

I am using pine shavings on coop floor and ADD as needed .

Laugh if you want to but I have not lost a baby for 20+ years because they ate the shavings and got stopped up, nor have I lost a hen from a vent infection because they picked up polluted material as the vent closed after laying. With pellets you don't have the dust associated with shavings, and they are not filling the air everytime a hen flaps her wings. The pellets that I am using absorb moisture about 10 times better and faster than shavings. As far as I'm concerned shavings could be the worst bedding ever for chickens

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
You mean shavings ? You say pellets , and I think you are referring to laying pellets .... LOL

I am using pine shavings on coop floor and ADD as needed .

Laugh if you want to but I have not lost a baby for 20+ years because they ate the shavings and got stopped up, nor have I lost a hen from a vent infection because they picked up polluted material as the vent closed after laying. With pellets you don't have the dust associated with shavings, and they are not filling the air everytime a hen flaps her wings. The pellets that I am using absorb moisture about 10 times better and faster than shavings. As far as I'm concerned shavings could be the worst bedding ever for chickens

OK , and where can I get these wood pellets ? I called 2 of our local feed and supply stores and one has pine pellets and say they are used like cat litter , but they have to be moistened then they enlarge . Is this what you are referring to ?

Also , we live in South Louisiana , might not be available to us in this area . I do know that different states have different products and different problems and they are all associated with temps. / snow / ice / mositure . WE HAVE HIGH humidity and very hot temps here . Where are you located ?

 

[geareduplyn]

I'm getting mine from the Tractor Store. I live in south central SC. They were also available from the Tractor stores in CA when I lved there. They are probably called Equine Pine or something similar and are used for horse stall bedding. For horses it is recommended that they be moistened. Just ignore that, and just put them down dry when covering the floor of the chicken house.

 

[KrisRose]

Geareduplyn- How deep of a base to you use with the wood pellets? How do you clean out the poop or do you just turn it in?? I've toyed with the idea of using them for the coop. I don't use the deep litter method in the summer, just winter, October to March.

 

[noodles]

ok here is the problem, i am an idiot.. plain and simple.. i built the nest boxes too low and the chickens fill them up with the hay i use.. plus my MIL wants to use the poop in her garden but she doesn't want hay or pine shaving in excess

 

[cajunlizz]

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well , straight POOP will burn her plants .... the shavings and hay mixed together with the poop will make excellent compost and make you the best looking garden you might have ever seen . GOOD LUCK

YES , I agree you may have put the nest boxes to low . Rule of thumb , they have to be 18 inches off the floor of the coop .

I have the Roosting area on total opposite wall away from the nest boxes . that way , when they poop while roosting ( as they all do ) no poop in the nesting boxes . and the whole coop is covered with pine shavings including the nesting boxes . I DO NOT use hay at all . 1 NEST BOX for every 4 hens .

 

[injunjoe]

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Not to be a wise guy but for you and your chickens I would use what I had to for them. And let MIL sort out the rest! lol !

 

[cajunlizz]

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Not to be a wise guy but for you and your chickens I would use what I had to for them. And let MIL sort out the rest! lol !

I totally agree . UNLESS she wants to have the permanent JOB of cleaning out the coop .

 

[KrisRose]

Noodles- Maybe try sand and just scoop out the poop like you would a cat's litter box. If MIL wants poop for her garden then I understand way she dosn't want all those shavings, they really pile up.
As Chirpy pointed out, a floor without shavings is hard on a standard chickens feet when jumping down. Might want to keep your roost low-like a 2 footer, than a 3 footer, than a four footer.

 

[geareduplyn]

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I cover the floor with about 2" to start. As the birds poop on them they will increase in volumn as they break down to a coarse sawdust after absorbing the moisture in the poop there are never any clumps, and the birds will keep everything stirred up enough that poop just disappears. My floors are probably 5" deep,and the birds love them. They sctatch and dig in them just like they were outside taking dust baths in the dirt. Keeping them dry though is the key to sucess with this method.
I cleaned some pens this past week so I could start some young birds coming up. The manure texture is such than you can use a lawn fertilizer spreader just like you were using bag fertlizer.