In an uncovered run in WI? None...it will freeze solid for months, spring thaw will be disgusting. Go with deep litter.What is the best sand to use for the run?
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In an uncovered run in WI? None...it will freeze solid for months, spring thaw will be disgusting. Go with deep litter.What is the best sand to use for the run?
The run will be totally covered. Will that make a difference?In an uncovered run in WI? None...it will freeze solid for months, spring thaw will be disgusting. Go with deep litter.
Maybe......any dampness may freeze it up solid.The run will be totally covered. Will that make a difference?
Is it more difficult to scoop out the poop with that type of sand?
The river sand I use looks very similar to the sand you would find at the beach. We just go to where the river has dumped the sand and scoop away. Will try to remember to take a picture tomorrow and post.Is it more difficult to scoop out the poop with that type of sand?
This may not apply at all to your situation, but have you tried pellet bedding? It's used for horse stalls and is compressed wood pellets that expand with water. I use it in the coop because it's light, stays clean longer, doesn't get trashed if it gets wet like shavings do and composts a million times better. It's a smaller bag for storage too and the same cost as a big bale of shavings. The only drawback is they have to be wetted in order to expand, and I haven't figured out a good way to do this. Horsey people cut the bag open and water it down that way, I just don't need a whole bag and do it in a rubber dump cart. If I get water in the coop I throw down some pellets and they suck up the water.i thought I’d try deep litter in the run, but after huge thunderstorms rolled through yesterday afternoon, the pine shavings were SOAKED on the unroofed portion of the run and damp from blowing rain on the covered portion.
We have sunny, dry weather the majority of the year but we do have some monsoon activity in July and sometimes snow in the winter. Should I continue with deep litter knowing during those times it may not work as well?
Also, in my coop, there’s no good way to add a poop board or hammock, so I’m thinking of switching to sand and PDZ, which I can just scoop daily. Are there any significant drawbacks to this?
Thanks for always helping this chicken newbie out with suggestions!