hemp/pine combo??

[rehsanipoor]

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.

 

[Sally PB]

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!

I would do this. Now, soon, weather permitting. Or wait until spring when you are more likely to have string of nice days.

What is under the wood floor? Is the wood sealed? My only concern would be trapping any moisture with vinyl tiles.

If you're smelling ammonia, that's a sign that you need more ventilation.

 

[rehsanipoor]

I was planning on adding more windows in the spring. I think we will make an effort to keep the main door open and add a hardware cloth "storm door".

The floor is not treated wood. I now realize this was a big mistake! We are learning as we go and I wish I had learned this first! What would you recommend at this point? Replacing the floor is not an option.

At this point we will work on getting the bedding dry and more absorbent and airing things out.

 

[Sally PB]

At this point we will work on getting the bedding dry and more absorbent and airing things out.

That will have to do, and it should help.

What is under the wood floor? Moisture can come from both sides.

 

[rehsanipoor]

It's a raised so coop so under the floor is part of their run.

 

[rehsanipoor]

My husband had mentioned drilling small holes in the floor to help things dry out more. Does that sound crazy? Right now things are very wet outside and Baltimore is typically pretty humid.

 

[Sally PB]

It's a raised so coop so under the floor is part of their run.

So it could be absorbing moisture from the ground below too. That makes it more difficult to dry the plywood.

Look for something called Blackjack 57 to seal the bottom surface. This will be a PITA to do, but possible.

How big is the run? Can you confine the chickens to the run while you're working on the coop? Can you add anymore ventilation, now or soon, to help the coop dry out? A nice sunny day in the next few weeks might give you a chance to make an opening (or two) and cover it with hardware cloth.

 

[rehsanipoor]

Any opinions on doing a mix of hemp and pine shavings? I'm just thinking I'd like to get deeper bedding but don't want to take on to cost of using only hemp. Thoughts??

I will try to get things as dry as I can before putting any new bedding in.