Pine pellets for coop bedding??? Does it work?? I'm curious....

[PrettyBirdRocky]

As a start, TSC price matches from their app and different stores FYI.

We use the pellet horse bedding from in-store with the stall fresh bought online from TSC app (we buy three bags at a time for free shipping since it's like 10$ now)

Since our coop is more of a sleep only area we laid down two bags of pellets and tossed around the stall fresh.

We used to use the pellets for our rabbits litter boxes so knew how it worked already -- even tried it for the cats once, eh didn't like how it worked for that lol

 

[Debbie292d]

In theory I scoop poops and then tip it out when the rest is all sawdust. In practice I just dump the whole thing and only rarely scoop poop.
Now I compost it - which everyone says not to do - but I don't use it on veggies and I am not of an age to get pregnant so I think the risk is very low. That means it is just super easy as soon as it turns to sawdust I just dump it in the compost. The pine pellets are cheap enough that you don't need to try and preserve them if a few haven't crumbled yet.

We have a forest behind us, and the cat litter boxes already get dumped back there as that stuff is all biodegradable as are the pellets. Thus, that's what we'll try with one box and see how it goes. Thank you!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

We're in Wisconsin with brutal winters and just leave the pellets in there year round. They are a good insulator too. We do not wet ours as they lose absorption capabilities then.

Truth be told, we have zero ventilation in our coop albeit a digital fan and vent in the human door that runs only when it gets hotter in there than it is outside.

Ventilation is pushed because the ammonia and humidity can build up to life-threatening levels, but with pellets, there is none of either. Our coop stays drier than the humidity outside, and the ammonia is absorbed, thus no smell, so the ventilation they get is just related to the temperature it is. We use a nipple bucket so no open water in the coop.

That's amazing that there's no smell! Instead does it smell like pine?

 

[Debbie292d]

That's amazing that there's no smell! Instead does it smell like pine?

I didn't recall any, so went to check. We have an open bag in the house for the brooders so I just took a whiff and there is a slight smell of pine.

There isn't any odors though at all once it's pooped on.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I didn't recall any, so went to check. We have an open bag in the house for the brooders so I just took a whiff and there is a slight smell of pine.

There isn't any odors though at all once it's pooped on.

 

[Debbie292d]

 

[Logar]

About 2-3". Our chickens keep it scratched around. In the brooders, about the same. I mix them around a little bit and remove the wet sawdust under the nipple waterer or the little chits start taking dust baths in it lol.

I feel like I didn’t do something right. It took me 3 bags to get 1.5 inches deep in a 24 sq foot coop. Looks like I will have to get 2 more bags tomorrow.

 

[WingItRanch]

I feel like I didn’t do something right. It took me 3 bags to get 1.5 inches deep in a 24 sq foot coop. Looks like I will have to get 2 more bags tomorrow.

I did the same thing.. I bought what I thought was enough but nope. Ended up getting 7 bags for my run. Good news is it will last you a lot longer than shavings!

 

[Logar]

I did the same thing.. I bought what I thought was enough but nope. Ended up getting 7 bags for my run. Good news is it will last you a lot longer than shavings!

Yeah, I plan on changing it every 2 month or so which is much better than every week. It comes out to $20 a month versus $30. And i won’t be dying while changing the bedding like I am with the shavings. It has a subtle but good smell compared to the extreme allergy enemy that shavings are.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Yeah, I plan on changing it every 2 month or so which is much better than every week. It comes out to $20 a month versus $30. And i won’t be dying while changing the bedding like I am with the shavings. It has a subtle but good smell compared to the extreme allergy enemy that shavings are.

I always have to take a cough drop while I'm cleaning out the pine shavings!!