Pine shavings = dust

[Rockridge Chicks]

Hi Everybody!

Just wondering how some of you deal with dust in the coop.

I am using the deep litter method w/ pine shavings. I have found that I am starting to get quite the buildup of dust everywhere in the coop.

Having dust alergies myself doesn't help...

During the day I have the large front door open to the barn and a few windows open for cross breezes, My chickens do have an outside pen to roam in as well. But I am worried about the dust buildup with winter comming on, not being able to properly air out the coop.

I rake gently 2 times a day to turn the shavings.

How do you keep dust to a minimal??

Thoughts ideas...

Thanx
Megan

 

[Standard Hen]

I find that some shavings are dustier than others. It seems the finer they are the dustier. It only gets stirred up when you are raking or when they are scratching. If they are out in their pen all day and go in at dusk then there should not be a problem as once they go in they are going to settle in for the night. If I were you with your allergies I would wear one of those paper nose/mouth mask and that will help so you are not breathing it in. I do not know that there is a solution, my coops are small and I try and rake out the top layer once a week and add fresh. In the winter I will lay some hay in there too.

 

[Ma]

Megan--

It sounds like I have a similar set up as you. It seems like the dust is simply unavoidable. This fall when my alergies got bad I started wearing a mask, or a kerchief over my nose/mouth. It really helped.

It took my girls awhile to get used to me with the mask on my face though!

Now I just hang a mask on the inside of the entrance door to the coop. Since we also have dropping boards, I always wear a mask when cleaning them. I highly recommend this. JMHO. HTH

Ma

 

[Sandrachx]

we have slats under our roosting poles. for winter, i wanted to try the deep bedding method and layered straw on the slats, a little sand on the straw and wood shavings on top. i have a smaller area (2'x6') in front of the roosting poles that i have a sand and wood shaving mix. the girls seem to like that - though it's not been really cold yet...s.e. michigan still above freezing now.

 

[seminolewind]

You might want to try laying some hay on top of the shavings. Or, the feed store has shavings that are bigger and have less dust. Or you can very lightly spray them with water-but very lightly.