I have a coop that usually stays very dry and has good ventilation. Lately we've had snow, rain and a lot of humidity. We do deep litter in the coop with pine shavings and usually can manage smell by maintaining a wet/dry balance. The floor of the coop is wood, which I only learned afterwards should probably be covered with vinyl tiles. The other day I went to give the bedding a mix and noticed an ammonia smell which I hadn't ever smelled before. I tossed a bunch of pdz in, mixed a lot and tried to leave the door open to help air it out. After reading a lot about different bedding types I ordered hemp. I think we probably need something that is more absorbent and I think this will be the way to go.
Here are my questions:
1. Do I need to remove all the old bedding before putting the hemp in or can I add it in, mix well and let the hemp absorb moisture?
2. If I remove all the old bedding can I do a mix of hemp and pine to make it a little "fluffier" and lessen the cost?
3. How vital is it I that cover the wood floor with vinyl tiles? Can it wait until spring? The thought of removing all bedding, cleaning and adding tiles now sounds daunting!
Thanks for your help.
Here are my questions:
1. Do I need to remove all the old bedding before putting the hemp in or can I add it in, mix well and let the hemp absorb moisture?
2. If I remove all the old bedding can I do a mix of hemp and pine to make it a little "fluffier" and lessen the cost?
3. How vital is it I that cover the wood floor with vinyl tiles? Can it wait until spring? The thought of removing all bedding, cleaning and adding tiles now sounds daunting!
Thanks for your help.