Pine shavings produce way too much dust, I can't take it anymore

[woodmort]

There are pine shavings and then there pine shavings--some are more sawdust than shavings. My local feedstore sells two kinds: coarse and fine. I find the coarse work better and have less dust but are often more like pine chips than shavings. Once in a while I run into a batch that are real shavings and then go back and stock up. There isn't much quality control in this product.

 

[B'villechicken]

Like most here, I have alot of dust after the winter. I don't, however have visible dust in the air like the OP. Just make sure your ventilation is adequate. When I "hoe out" the coop in the spring I use the air hose to blow the dust out. I use a full mask respirator for that.

 

[patandchickens]

IME it depends a WHOLE lot on what brand of shavings you are using. Some are a whole big lot dustier than others. There is even some variation within brands (some lots can be dustier or less dusty, but not as much as difference between brands).

That said, as previous posters have noted a whole lot of the dust comes from the chickens themselves, also in many cases the *feed* produces nontrivial dust (particularly if you are feeding mash or crumbles and particularly if they tend to get osme of it out onto the floor)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[mediazeal]

I think you need a higher ratio of pine shavings to chicken dust to keep the dust down

 

[BayouPoules]

We switched to TSC's flake shavings also and it's way better,. it's real shavings and not sawdust,.
it cost less and goes farther.

 

[secuono]

I also have a bare floor, no dust and easy to scrape clean real fast.

 

[Chicklette 1]

I use a kitty litter scoop to pick up the poop and I have had the larger shavings but the problem is they don't fall through the scoop and I throw too much out with the poop so I have stuck with the finer shavings.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Oh- you are way up north. Yes I would use shavings in the north.