Dusty dusty coop

[Nugget]

Can anyone comment on controlling dust in your coop? I believe it's probably coming from their food, and gets airborn when they're flapping around in there. It was so thick today I couldn't believe it. Is pelletted food cleaner? Do chickens exude dust themselves? I startled one hen with a shovel, she panicked, fluttered all over and I couldn't enter the coop for 20 minutes! It was billowing out the door like it was on fire! I cleaned the coop out and even took the shop vac to it. It's really nice now- but for how long...

 

[Matt A NC]

Dirt from dust baths, old feather pieces, food, dried poo, and the list goes on. I use a mister with oxine water to mist my coups when it is really dry out. Serves 2 purposes. The oxine kills any bacteria, fungus, or virus and the moisture keeps the dust down.

Don't mist if it will be below freezing in the coop at night. The extra moisture can lead to frost bite.

Matt
Morganton, NC

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

If you are using pine shavings, that is where the majority of the dust is coming from.

 

[Nugget]

Thanks guys,
I am using pine shavings, but when I had a hen quarantined in my basement, there was only a small amount of shavings, but the dust over my basement was crazy... she had the same food as the ones in teh coop though.

I'm thinking I might get a bag of pellets rather than grain next time and see if there's any difference. When I fill their feeder I have to hold my breath for the dust. They bill out a considerable amount of feed onto the floor. I wish I could find a feeder that prevented that.

Maybe wetting it all down before a cleanout is the way to go!

 

[silkiechicken]

I go with pellets, find crumbles are just crummy... literally.

Also, to prevent billing out, I hang my feeders so high they have to reach up to get to the feed. Of course it's only as high as my shortest hen... so some still does get pulled out, but what gets pulled out can be picked up on the floor since it is a pellet.