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

[Logar]

I feel so bad! They have had pine shavings for the past 141 days (aka since the second the got here) and now they are so confused. Some of them keep running in and then out and being super noisy. The spoiled brats better get used to it

 

[Debbie292d]

I feel so bad! They have had pine shavings for the past 141 days (aka since the second the got here) and now they are so confused. Some of them keep running in and then out and being super noisy. The spoiled brats better get used to it

They will!

You really don't need to change those out every two months though. You'll see. If an area looks dirtier or more sawdust than another, just use a metal rake and move them around.

I think a good guide would be if the whole pellets are down to 20%.

 

[Whittni]

They also work well in my coops. Though, the ladies still prefer wood chips in the laying boxes.

 

[Debbie292d]

They also work well in my coops. Though, the ladies still prefer wood chips in the laying boxes.

A few of our silkies sleep in the hen boxes instead of on the rail outside of the hen boxes or on top of them, so pooping more than usual in there. We tried perches and only one would sit on them, so we pulled them out. Bunch of babies!! I switched to pellets there, too, and keep a stick nearby to stir those every few days.

 

[Debbie292d]

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.

That's odd. Were they the large bags, 40#? I just asked hubby, as ours is barely covering, as he keeps forgetting to put more down. That was two bags, all in here now, so I think if we put 1.5 more in, we'd have 'er covered well. I'm sure it's not even 4 bags to do the job right and have a couple of inches of them.

Oh well, once you figure it out, you'll enjoy them for sure!

 

[Vicker]

I started experimenting with pellets after a friend gave me a couple of bags.
Pros: Less pick-up of bedding when scooping off the fresh poop, which means less waste and fewer trips back and forth to the compost pile. Also, they don't scatter outside the coop and end up in places I don't want them. Even better, they don't end up in the water container.

Cons: Pellets haven't been controlling odor as well as flakes. Pellets are creating more dust as they disintegrate. A 40# bag costs a couple of pennies more than an 8 cu ft bag of flakes, but the flakes cover more area. Flakes also don't break down as quickly.

I might continue to use pellets to top off the flakes under the roosts to aid in scooping. And I think they'll be great to use in a brooder.

 

[Logar]

Were they the large bags, 40#

Yeah, they were. I am liking it a lot more than the shavings already though.

You really don't need to change those out every two months though. You'll see. If an area looks dirtier or more sawdust than another, just use a metal rake and move them around

Ok thanks. I will probably just do it every 3-6 months then depending on the time of year (winter they spend more time in coop, summer less).

 

[avjudge]

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.

Turned to sawdust, an inch and a half should be more than 3 inches, based on my experience.

In my pigeon aviary I always spray mine with water to decompose them into sawdust right from the get-go. The right amount of water will cause them to break down without making the resulting sawdust feel wet, and with time any water will evaporate and the dry sawdust will dry out the droppings just fine. I find it much more comfortable to walk on the sawdust than on the pellets.

In the cat litter boxes, where the cats themselves provide copious amounts of liquid, I just put in a couple pellets worth of depth (less than inch) and by the time it has all broken down due to the cats’ generous contributions I have 3+ inches in there.

(In my chicken coop I use cardboard shreds because that’s free and also works.)

 

[Logar]

That's odd. Were they the large bags, 40#? I just asked hubby, as ours is barely covering, as he keeps forgetting to put more down. That was two bags, all in here now, so I think if we put 1.5 more in, we'd have 'er covered well. I'm sure it's not even 4 bags to do the job right and have a couple of inches of them.

Oh well, once you figure it out, you'll enjoy them for sure!

So do I scoop the poop, mix it up, or leave it? I never had to do anything with the flakes as they just swallowed the poop up lol. I still would prefer a bit extra work every day than the allergy fest every Monday used to bring.

 

[WingItRanch]

So do I scoop the poop, mix it up, or leave it? I never had to do anything with the flakes as they just swallowed the poop up lol. I still would prefer a bit extra work every day than the allergy fest every Monday used to bring.

I scoop up the poop almost like it's a litter box. I haven't added new pellets yet. Don't plan on it until I scoop up enough to notice bare spots.