Moisture in Coop - Considering Pellets

[RoostyRoo]

This is a long post but I would love some advice as I’ve found myself in a cold wet mousey dilemma. Winter has set in and brought snow with it. Something (maybe my chickens tracking in snow mixed with the continual snow falling) is causing the coop to get very moist. We use straw bedding because I’m allergic to shavings. With it being snowy my chickens are staying inside more making it much dirtier and now it’s wet and dirty. Adding more straw to make a thicker and slower-to-soil bedding doesn’t seem like a good idea though because we have mice living and reproducing in the bedding as it is. We also want to have a thicker layer of bedding though, because our chunkiest hens have been getting bumblefoot and we think it may partially be caused by them landing so hard on the floor and scraping themselves.

I need to find a way to dry out the coop while also using a bedding that will hopefully be less inviting to mice but also hopefully provide some cushion. I was thinking of switching to pelletized bedding (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ ) because I thought it might help, but it’s made from pine and I’ve heard that pine is toxic?

 

[NatJ]

I was thinking of switching to pelletized bedding (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ ) because I thought it might help, but it’s made from pine and I’ve heard that pine is toxic?

Pine is generally safe enough to use for chickens. By "safe enough," I mean you will probably not see any symptoms of any problems during the normal lifespan of a chicken.

We use straw bedding because I’m allergic to shavings.

If you are allergic to shavings, you may be allergic to the pellets too. You might want to check that before you try putting any in the coop.

 

[Ted Brown]

I think you should be investigating the source of moisture in the coop.

Because of my bias (Woods coop builder/owner) my first suspicion is lack of sufficient ventilation (hard to have too much!). However, even with a fresh air style coop I have had frost buildup inside; removing drinking water from coop to run and increasing ventilation fixed that.

Pictures would be useful to see as BYC has many folks that will offer advice to resolve your issues.

While there is differing opinions about straw many suggest that using it as bedding for chickens is not the best. While absorbent it does not release that moisture easily; mould and other pathogens can result. While expensive hemp is an option given sensitivities to pine.

That you have mice inhabiting your coop is concerning. They will help themselves to food and water, more importantly they can carry mites and sometimes lice that will transfer to your chickens and cause grief.

I encourage posting pictures of your coop and run to get feedback that may help.

Good luck.