If you've used both pine shavings and wheat straw for bedding...

[sangel4you]

since it is in on a cement floor i was also considering doing sand/shavings or sand/straw combination...thinking the sand would help with the moisture? As far as the window...it's an old barn window that I do not own that has all the glass panes knocked out so I obviously cannot close it. Any ideas on the sand combo and if that would work better than just plain straw or shavings? and if so...which should I layer first?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It seems to me the sand would just *hold* moisture, more than anything. Also my experience with horse stalls that are shavings over sand or straw over sand is that they are no fun to clean and it's real hard to do a thorough job.

Could you just screw a piece of plexiglas over the window to 'close' it? Or even staplegun some shadecloth or 2 thicknesses of plain ol' windowscreen, or a burlap bag, or something like that, so there is still a bit of airflow but not so much rain comes in?

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[sangel4you]

I could probably try something like that...but the walls are concrete and the window frame is metal...any ideas how I could do that? So everyone's in agreement, sand is not a good option in this case? maybe just some soil topped with shavings or hay is better?

 

[sangel4you]

Just wanted to update you all...
remembered I had a huge dirt pile in my backyard so I'm just going the hceap route and putting dirt down with hay on top. Dirt absorbs water in the yard right? And it should help the hay deompose. Anyway I'm gonna give that a tr yand its free soooo... yeah.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
If you don't mind the window being permanently closed, just use caulk or liquid nails to *glue* a piece of plexiglas over the window. It should hold fine as long as it's a good flat fit and the plexiglass is on the outside of the windowframe.

If you still want some airflow, make a lightweight wooden frame to fit the window (again, just use caulk or liquid nails to adhere it, on the outside of the bldg) and staple shadecloth or 2 thicknesses of windowscreen tightly onto the wooden frame. Some rain will get in, but a lot less, and you will still have *some* airflow.

So everyone's in agreement, sand is not a good option in this case? maybe just some soil topped with shavings or hay is better?

Frankly I think you're best off with just the shavings, if you are unable to do anything (e.g. above) to prevent rain from blowing in the window. Damp shavings are not going to do any harm within a single day, and you can just rake them apart to dry naturally if there is enough air circulation in the coop, or take them outside to dry. You might want to leave the part of the floor that gets wet bedded more thinly (or, depending on the situation, maybe even unbedded, as long as you don't mind stuck-on poo) when you expect storms, so there is less wet bedding to have to deal with afterwards.

(The problem with sand, soil, or whatever is that it will hold the moisture in the coop for as long as possible (which is bad) and tend to hold the moisture down below the shavings where it can't evaporate away well.)

Good luck,

Pat​

 

[Sissy]

I use shavings and add to it,
for the deep litter method. have never had a problem I have a wood floor and its as clean as can be But I stir up the shavings and add new.I stir 3 x a week and add shavings
when ever I see it needs it. as the cost of shavings has really gone up.

shavings is always dry and no smell. I also add Permectrin powder every 3 months.. and only totaly clean out floor every 2 years.

 

[FlyWheel]

VERY old thread, I know, I apologize in advance if I violated some unwritten law. but I figured resurrecting it made more sense that starting a new one on the exact same subject.

I have been using shavings for the last couple of years, but I have also been reading a lot of bad things about toxins being released by wood shavings, especially hardwoods and cedar. And while pine is not as bad it isn't exactly good either, as it releases the same kinds of respiratory harming chemicals (albeit not as much).

As such, I have decided to return to wheat straw, which out here is basically cut and dried wild grass, and I have heard that grass cuttings make a good, safe bedding material. However the fact remains that it isn't as good at staying dry. Not that my bedding ever gets wet; the coop is under a tarped section of the run, and the chickens water is outside. So the only liquids that are going to come from the chickens themselves, and judging from the cleanliness of the shavings I have scooped out, I actually think my birds have potty trained themselves. Seriously, I didn't see any droppings, either in the litter nor on the floor (and that was after a year of use, the only turning being done by the chickens themselves!)

So here is what I was thinking, start by spreading some DE on the floor (or insect control) then mixing some pine shavings together with the wheat straw to increase it's absorbency while keeping the amount of toxins down. Would this work?

 

[kekstrom]

I am VERY interested in this... I would like to use hay/straw seeing how we live and work on a farm and could get it for free- but if shavings are going to be more efficient, then I want to go that route.

 

[Howard E]

As I waded through that thread, the thought that kept coming to me was "why not do both"?

When working with a compost pile, what quickly becomes evident is the more variety you can add to it, the better. Coarse (wood chips) and fine......straw......and chicken manure (nitrogen), as well as grass clippings and just about anything else you can throw in there will help. If it is wet or smells, add more chips and straw (carbon). Coarse enough some air can get to it........moist enough to support the bugs and get things breaking down. Not wet......moist. Big difference. Goal is to get the right proportions of carbon, nitrogen, air and water to make the compost pile work, and then keep it there.

And use the birds to mix it. Scratch grains are just that.......toss out a hand full or two on top of the litter and watch them go to work scratching and digging.......and in the process, working the compost pile......mixing and aerating. Get that right and it should not be wet or smelly......well not bad smelly. More like good smelly as good compost is.

 

[FlyWheel]

<snip!>...well not bad smelly. More like good smelly as good compost is.

That's my real problem concerning this; I don't have a sense of smell (I lost it in a bike accident way back in '79). Unless the odor is REALLY strong, like menthol or acetone, my nose draws a blank. I can smell ammonia somewhat, like if I hold an open bottle of it right under my nose...