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

[talkinboutchickens]

Hi all!
I've been thinking..... What if I switch over to pine pellets for the bedding in the chickie's coop?
Pine shavings just plain suck and they are awful at controlling the odor. Pelleted bedding also seems to go on sale pretty often at TSC.
The problem is... I feed my chickens pellets. Will they confuse the pine pellets as their food since it's the same size and color?
So what are your guy's experiences with this pelleted pine bedding or pelletized alfalfa bedding? Does it control the odor? Is it easy clean-up? Do any of you scoop the poops out of the pelleted bedding just like scooping the cat litter?
Could I use grilling pellets when they go on sale?

Thanks!

 

[Debbie292d]

Yes! We've used it for 8 years in our coop and this past year started using it in our brooders too! No, they don't confuse it with their own feed. Of course, they all probably try it once and go "bleh!"

I've heard you can use grilling pellets for coop bedding but not the other way around. Usually, pine pellets aka horse bedding pellets are about $8 for 40# at farm stores. We take 3.5 bags for a 60-square-foot coop. We change them only once a year, in the spring. We haul it all out, which by this time is pulverized chicken poop and sawdust, and put some in the garden, around trees, in flower beds, and in the compost bins, then sweep and lay down another 3" or so, good for another year.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I use pine pellets and greatly prefer them to shavings. I use them for everything from the chicken pens to the horse stalls. None of the animals have ever eaten them and know that they aren’t food.

 

[WingItRanch]

I just recently switched to pine pellets in my run because we had a ridiculous amount of rain this year. I love it! When it gets wet, it basically turns into fluffy sawdust and it clumps up the poop. My chickens used to get poop stuck to their feet but not since I switched. I can just scoop the waste up as if the run is a giant litter box.

I still use shavings in the coop but that's because I'm doing a deep litter method and will pull it all out in the fall to compost for the garden.

 

[Logar]

Yes! We've used it for 8 years in our coop and this past year started using it in our brooders too! No, they don't confuse it with their own feed. Of course, they all probably try it once and go "bleh!"

I've heard you can use grilling pellets for coop bedding but not the other way around. Usually, pine pellets aka horse bedding pellets are about $8 for 40# at farm stores. We take 3.5 bags for a 60-square-foot coop. We change them only once a year, in the spring. We haul it all out, which by this time is pulverized chicken poop and sawdust, and put some in the garden, around trees, in flower beds, and in the compost bins, then sweep and lay down another 3" or so, good for another year.



View attachment 3918989

How deep do you keep it in your coop? I am thinking of switching not sure if I will need more than 1 bag to get it as deep as I like

 

[Debbie292d]

How deep do you keep it in your coop? I am thinking of switching not sure if I will need more than 1 bag to get it as deep as I like

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.

 

[WingItRanch]

Oh I forgot to mention that when I first put down the pellets, they sampled the pellets. Picked them up and kind of nibbled and then dropped them. That curiosity only lasted a couple hours and they lost interest when they realized it wasn't yummy.

 

[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.

Ok thanks. I think I will give it a try then. I like keeping my bedding at 3” or so and hate the shavings but can’t justify me spending a crazy amount on something different.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

Following along because shavings just aren’t working, it stinks and I did not like straw, very dusty. I like to get real opinions.

 

[abarnangh]

I love pine pellets in my brooder but not so much with my older girls. I find that the big girls try to eat the pellets and that makes me super nervous. You could try hemp cuttings. I use them in my coop and they are amazing! Can't praise them enough.