No smell in my Coop

[Dutchess]

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Hey COOS County! My favorite place to fish! I love it up there and want to move there when I retire (in many years). Love, love, love Northern NH.

It's a beautiful place!

 

[VelvettFog]

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This pretty much describes both my method and experience. (except for the feathers part

)

 

[VelvettFog]

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I buy my pellets by the ton. Cost is around 215$ a ton. There are 50 bags, so that's a little over 4 bucks a bag? I get mine from a Farm and Ranch Store (Coastal Farm and Ranch). They are also available at my local ACE Hardware store. But I like the brand at Coastal better because it seems to be cleaner burning. Price is usually comparable.



Some other posters asked about the birds eating the wood pellets. That has not ever been an issue for me. I even put wood pellets in my brooders.


Other comments were that the pellets turn into sawdust when they absorb moisture (very true) and that maybe mucking out the sawdust is more difficult that other types of litter. -- I use a garden rake and a scoop shovel (coal shovel). The rake makes a good 'pile' and with a few scoops with the shovel, that wheelbarrow is full

I only clean out once a year, in early spring.

I live in a very dry climate, so there is not a lot of active composting going on in my DLM coops. It is said that if there is some active composting, that process will add warmth to the coop. I am curious to see if the added humidity in winter will actually trigger a true 'compost' in my coops. I am skeptical of this, but very satisfied with the cleanliness and odor (lack of rather) of my coops.


Probably more info than anyone wanted

Fog

 

[VelvettFog]

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Snazzy -

Too much moisture in the coop is bad no matter what litter you use. If the pellets do get wet (like the time I spilled their water) they turn into sawdust. This is still usable as litter, and when I rake the coop floor the moisture laden sawdust makes its way to the floor of the coop, and the bulkier pellets come to the top. Any really wet clumps of poo get raked into the sawdust layer where they dry out very quickly (for me). I would not use any DLM method in a coop that I move. I would also be very careful in my consideration of using DLM on a dirt floor. (There are both pros and cons)

Fog

 

[Dora'smom]

We decided on pellets before we got our first girls, and have never looked back. The only exception is that we put pine shavings in the nest boxes, and in the broody area. The pellets break down so quickly, and smell good for a long time. I use a little bit of DE here and there if it seems that it's a little too moist.
As far as the buildup around the door, my husband built an approximately two foot tall wall around the door to keep the sawdust in place.

 

[ladyride]

We use the pellets in both coops & in the brooder . In the brooder I will use paper towels a couple of days til the chicks get the food thing figured out all is good . I put a poop hammock in the main coop as they make alot of poo. I empty that in garden now since it is fall to break down for spring planting. Otherwise it goes in the compost pile. Pure poo is hot.In the small coop I rake it everyday 5 min both coops done. I use the shavings in the nest boxes. The pellets have been in use now for 6 months For someone that was not gonna have any smells this has worked great . Whether shavings or pellets you still have to clean it out still gotta use a shovel. A little sweet pdz it all stays really dry & nice. They dust bathe keep it all really stirred up.
Everyone has to decide what works best for them. But I really like this method.

 

[kingdr85]

Can anyone post pictures of the pellets in USE? (how they look in the coop, etc).

 

[wilobrookfarms]

Question? I have horses, and have used wood pellets in their stalls. But only the kind for bedding. I was told the woodstove pellets are made of many kinds of tree's, some being toxic? I think they said something about black walnut? Is black walnut toxic to chickens?

 

[ladyride]

These are pine wood pellets

 

[kingdr85]

So they have to say PINE WOOD pellets...they cannot be those hardwood pellets correct?