Please help with coop litter!

[lyndatu]

There's not much time

Oh please.........help me

We'll be getting the chicks soon, but we still don't have litter for our coop and brooder! Please give me any other recommendation for good litters aside from wood shavings(since you change it every 2 days it will be expensive), straw, or hay? Please! The clock is ticking! Help help! Oh, is that a chirp I hear at the doorstep? Oh no! They're here! Waaaaaah! Silkie mind control.......

Silkies: OPEN THIS DOOR! WE WANT TO SEE OUR HOME! IT BETTER HAVE WOOD SHAVINGS!

I'm sorry, master, but I couldn't afford to buy wood shavings.....please forgive me...............

Silkies: WHAT?! YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR INSIGNIFICANCE! WE WILL SLEEP IN YOUR BEDROOM, AND YOU WILL SLEEP IN THE COOP WITH NO LIGHT FOR WARMTH!

Yes, master....

 

[cristina33]

Hi,
As far as shavings go for your coop you DONT have to change them every 2 days. I clean mine every season. I use the deep liter method. I just stir up the shavings every other day or so. For my brooder I use shelf liners those non skid things. I keep 2 of them when I take one out to clean it I replace it with the clean one. It works great. Good Luck!
Cristina

 

[greginshasta]

A bale of pine shavings is only about $6 bucks. If you are talking about changing the litter in the brooder, such as a plastic tub, I don't think it is necessary to do that every other day. You can thow some more in to cover the poo, and maybe change it once a week. I'm pretty sure that's what we did. And a bale of pine shavings will last a long time in a brooder tub.

Is changing the litter in the brooder your point? If not, please clarify, because I've not heard of changing that stuff in the coop every other day.

 

[Dawn419]

I never changed out the wood shavings every two days in the brooder and most definately not in the coop.

I just added clean shavings when needed in the brooder and am using the Deep Litter Method in the coops so I'll probably only change out the shavings once a year. The wood shavings are really compressed/compacted in their packaging, so you end up with more than what it looks like.

Pine shavings from Tractor Supply:


Pine shavings from WalMart:


Dawn

 

[silkiechicken]

Wood is cheap here in the US, but maybe it's expensive over there in the Philippines. That is where you are right? If you do use shavings, you don't have to replace it every two days, just keep it stirred and like once a week. When I brood chicks, I use one big heap of shavings from day 3 till three weeks or four, and out they go on the ground where I use straw. So in effect, I change shavings once in three weeks. It will depend on how many you have and in how much space. Maybe there are alternative types of bedding in your area?

 

[1acrefarm]

I am using fallen leaves right now.

 

[mdbucks]

My last batch I used wood pellets that to me looked like pellets used in wood pellet stove, as they got walked on they broke apart, I put enough in to cover the floor are and they seemed to work, was told better because less likely that they would be eaten by chicks. Actually took advice of the man at feed store on this.

I dont know if you are overseas, must be info from another post, not sure if they would have these overseas?

I think you can use leaves/pine needles as long as it would obsorb the waste. About the only thing not to use is newpaper/ suppose to cause sprattleleg.

 

[lyndatu]

Hello....my silkies are coming back soon, so I better hurry....

I don't have to replace wood shavings? Just stir them up?

! But what does "stir it up" mean? And, dried leaves! Yes! It does good for a coop? We have a lot of dried leaves in our backyard!

Thanks! Oh no, the silkies are coming!

 

[lyndatu]

Oh, and one more question: do you need to replace your wood shavings regularly? Or you can just clean it? If you can just clean it, how?

Thanks in advance!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
I see you understand the power of the silkies. You are in big trouble if you don't get
them some bedding soon.

How many chickens and breeds are your getting?
How big is your coop?
Will they have a run and how big will it be?
Will they free range?
How much rain do you get?

The answers you give us will help us help you.

I like pine myself. I also use wood chips in my run. They are cheap,
work very well & don't smell.