Sand smell?

[thecatumbrella]

Can you source pine straw? (dried pine needles) It doesn't take bales and bales and bales, unless your run is huge, as it kind of explodes out of the wrapping when opened. Lowes carries it. The reviews are fun, of course, but they are mostly written by those wanting a tidy mulch on their garden beds. I have no problem with the presence of the occasional pine cone and bark.

It helps the fluffiness factor in deep litter when combined with denser materials like mulch. It rots down quickly (several months, for me), so that's something to keep in mind.

Hmmm, I've never heard of that. I'll look into it, thanks! Probably a lot less dusty than mulch as well.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Hmmm, I've never heard of that. I'll look into it, thanks! Probably a lot less dusty than mulch as well.

What I use:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CleanStraw...pDUNbFiYDCIbGBdkgwCmsd27Z-dsce9RoCVcsQAvD_BwE

 

[thecatumbrella]

What I use:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CleanStraw...pDUNbFiYDCIbGBdkgwCmsd27Z-dsce9RoCVcsQAvD_BwE

That also looks super fun to forage in! Do you try to pick the poops out of it? Or just change it out once it gets nasty?

 

[Rose the Legbar]

That also looks super fun to forage in! Do you try to pick the poops out of it? Or just change it out once it gets nasty?

Since it seems to be a plant based product, you could just let it decompose and add more on top once it breaks down a bit!

 

[thecatumbrella]

Since it seems to be a plant based product, you could just let it decompose and add more on top once it breaks down a bit!

My run is covered (though the front 3 feet will get some rain runoff). Not sure if that matters as far as letting things break down.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

My run is covered (though the front 3 feet will get some rain runoff). Not sure if that matters as far as letting things break down.

I do exactly what @Rose the Legbar wrote. If your run is mostly covered, you can just turn the hose on it a couple times a week.

As for visible poops, I rely on a combination of gravity (sinking down into the litter), and turnover by the chickens. I occasionally sprinkle their feed in dry form on the litter when they need some encouragement to dig.

 

[Appalachickens]

Is this in the coop or run? I use leaves and some pink bark mulch over the dirt. No smell at all really (except for the earthy leaf mold scent, which is pleasant), even when it's wet. I don't remove any poop, just let it decompose, and throw on more leaves as needed. Since you're in a neighborhood, I bet you could get loads of leaves from the curb once fall starts.