I've read the latest sand reports; what about you wood pellet users?

[Wink]

I'm gathering up the most recent commentators on what they use INSIDE their coop, and their final report. I had my mind set up on the horse bedding/ wood pellets, but now I'm dickering with the thought of sand. I live in the interesting state of Texas, not sure if my climate would make much a difference in either pellet/ sand performance. Sand is already going to be used in the run, I'm just deciding on the coop interior itself!

I've read previous posts That date all the way back to whenever, but I'm just trying to get your latest, tested feedback! Because I'm sure as time passed that you may or may not have changed your mind depending on actual trial and error!

I like the idea of sand, cuz it sure would be cheaper, but I also had my mind set on the pellets ( for their absorbency and composting purposes).

For those that use sand INSIDE their coop, do you bother with a poop board.? Or just sift and dump?

 

[Bleenie]

I use pellets inside my coops, including my duck coop. They are just more absorbent and keep the smell WAY down for quite a long time & i have noticed a lot less flies. I do have to go in and turn them occasionally to "fluff" it up and turn up the un-expanded pellets but I really like them over other stuff i've tried, like shavings

.

I also don't feed pellet food so I don't have to worry about the birds istaking them for feed, lol.

 

[minichic]

I was wondering if anyone used the pine horse bedding pellets for other uses. I use it in my cat litter boxes and just recently started putting it in the bottom of my parakeet cage. Would be much easier to buy one product with multiple uses. I know there is zero smell from the cat litter boxes with the pine pellets. I am interested to see what kind of response you get from others who use it in their chicken coops.

 

[dianaross77]

I have used pine pellets (equine fresh from tsc) to litter train 3 puppies, worked great for that. I have used them for cat litter, worked great for that. I am currently using them for rabbit litter, work great for that. And finally, I just started using them for chickens. I have 4 seramas in the house. I have a plastic bin brooder with 2 chicks in it. I was really glad I used the pellets when they knocked over their water! It soaked it right up and turned into sawdust. Before I saw what they had done, the sawdust was already dry and they were dustbathing in it. I also have it in the bottom of the cage with the 6 month olds. They love to dig in it and it seems to be working well. Keeps the little drips from their water bottle from making a mess. I think it would be great for ducks too.

 

[cmom]

It really depends on how your coop was made. My coops all have wood floors so I use the course pine shavings for easy cleaning. I have wire over a poop pit under my roosts.

 

[Tala]

I use wood pellets and LOVE them!!!!

I do want some sand in the run though, but for now I just throw down a bag of wood pellets whenever they get stinky. Sand will be a spring project.

 

[Wink]

Quote:
So, given a choice, you'd remain a pellet user in the coop? No sand in the coop itself?

 

[Silver Spring Waterfowl]

I use peat moss on my brooder room and sometimes in the goose barn in snowy, muddy weather. Geese and goslings are much wetter critters than chicks. I also live in TX. I like the peat because it's not as expensive in the long run, depending on where I get it, it is the most absorbent, most odor free bedding I've tried, and because it's more acidic, it inhibits (doesn't prevent) growth of bacteria. It sifts much like cat-box letter, too. I toss a layer of sudan in the middle of the brooder that can be rolled up and changed every day or 2 as needed, stir the peat and/or change it under the waterer, and it goes right out onto the garden or wherever I need it most. We definitely get our money's worth from it! I do not have chickens that scratch, so the peat makes an excellent hiding place for my fly predators when I release a unit. It is dusty, though. My pottery will ever be unique from the peat dust. I am considering putting some sand down below the peat this year myself. Glad I ran across this! Been trying to sell the sand idea to DH for almost a year now. This has helped! Thanks!

 

[Tala]

Quote:
So, given a choice, you'd remain a pellet user in the coop? No sand in the coop itself?

Yes. Although technically I don't have a "coop" at the moment.

I like the wood pellets so well, that when I had to move my chickens out of their old coop I converted it to "storage" and left the pellets in there.

 

[BeautifulPacificNorthwest]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE wood pellets.
I have a goat house with a wooden floor and the pee used to puddle up in the low corner. I would clean it out regularly, but the bedding (straw) would be ruined quickly because of the moisture. And the smell? Awful.

I took everything out, sprinkled pellets on the floor, then added straw on top. Once a week I add a layer of pellets and more straw. I only do a deep clean (everything out) about once a month. Everything that comes out, goes into the compost pile or the garden. The goats love the dry house and my chickens kick them out regularly to dust bathe in the pellet crumbles (ewwwww) and lay eggs in the corners.

I have the same layering thing going on in the chicken coop, but I may move to more pellets, less straw since they are tracking poop into the nest boxes. I think I'll join Tala this spring and clean it all out and do a layer of sand with pellets on top. Anyone see any problems with trying something like that? My chickens free range all day so are really only in for sleeping.