Equine pellets in the coop/run?

[ChickenMamaC]

I read somewhere that pine pellets are great for mixing in to deep litter so I picked some up. Now I’m worried that the chickens will eat them.

Thoughts??

 

[ChickNanny13]

Good question ... Have a friend that uses it in her brooders, absorbs great as chicks are always getting water all over. She then dumps the particle out in her compost. We recently went through a drenching by Hurricane Lane, thought of those pellets for my Chicken House (got soaked), saw one of our feed stores using it in buckets under their roof leaks I asked about it, the clerk wouldn't yay or nay. Thinking when it's wet it would be heavy & pack solid, so decided to stick with shavings which I shovel out (easily) and dry or use in my back yard as fill.

 

[trudyg]

You're supposed to spread the pellets out and then spray a fine mist over them. They crumble into sawdust-like clumps. I've never seen mine eat them.

 

[sourland]

I've used them in my pigeon lofts, and the birds did not eat them. I don't like them as they rapidly break down into dusty sawdust. Not good with birds that are constantly flying.

 

[trudyg]

I loved the crumbly dust when my chick was attacked by a hawk and was in the hospital cage for a month. She was blind and the material was soft as well as absorbent for her poops and water spills. In the coop itself, I have been using Koop Clean--chopped hay with pdz. They love it and it smells so clean. $15 a bale, but that's not too bad for every other month.

 

[Chickassan]

The dust made my birds a little hoarse.