I hate pine shavings!

[jeria]

I have been buying straw from a nearby farm for my gardens. I am planning on using it in my coop and run. Pine shavings for the nest boxes for the moment and maybe some mixed in with the straw in the coop. New at this so no experience. It's difficult to find small bales of hay close by as most of the farmers roll it into huge round bales. I may see if my farmer has some small bales left as he does do some for local horse owners and haul home a load of them as well. I used to love how fresh new straw smelled in our horse stalls years ago.

 

[barred2rock]

Well, one thing I discovered I like about the pine is that it keeps the straw in place. I won't have to move the straw back up from the down hill side of the run as often.

 

[aart]

PINE SHAVINGS SUCK!!!

So they didn't work out for ya, huh?
I wouldn't use baled pine shavings out in run...not a good application.

Need stuff like this:

 

[catinthecoop]

So they didn't work out for ya, huh?
I wouldn't use baled pine shavings out in run...not a good application.

Need stuff like this:

@aart that looks more like what I would call 'mulch' but I imagine you wouldn't want something dyed or treated, what exactly is it?

 

[ladyearth]

TSC review for pine shavings I read were bad...
Pine needles sound nice...
I bought a better brand. of pine shavings. still have two packs or more in a clean can in a shed
But now use nothing. have older rubber big mats on the floor...
Roost ,a portable unit Hubby genius built.....,has aluminum big baking trays and over that Big black cafeteria trays. so easy to clean. expensive but so durable...
My coop are prob the cleanest out there other than the dust they shake out.. LOL
just a saying yall

 

[aart]

@aart that looks more like what I would call 'mulch' but I imagine you wouldn't want something dyed or treated, what exactly is it?

Yeah, some use it as mulch, it's not treated or dyed. It's ramial tree chippings from the power company trimming tree limbs away from power lines. It had also been sitting in piles at a buddy's place for about 6 months, he has a bunch of it, so I avoided the 'fresh trimmings' risk of an aspergillus bloom. I brought in two 2.25 yard loads to start, then he brought a mini-pickup load. I also have a half dozen feed bags full of the chippings stored in a shed and I add one once in awhile. I'm very lucky to have access to the aged chippings.

It was a great start for a 'deep' litter in my run. Have had little to no odor since implementing almost a year ago, even after heavy rains and during the dreaded snow melt season. I add other dry stuff like dried grass clippings, dead leaves gathered in fall and stored in feed bags in a shed, those d@mn pine shavings from the coop, hay and straw in small amounts, etc. I do throw in a limited amount of 'green' stuff like garden weeds and kitchen scraps.