shaveings or wood pellets?

[Lotsapaints]

I vote for pellets I use them for my chickens never wet them I do like Nyreds buy the fine shavings and put on the top but my new favorite is rice hulls the chickens love them....cost is about the same

 

[the-bird-man]

thank you all for the reply's. my thinking is pellets would keep the smell down and should be less dusty. the coop will be about 5'x8' with a dirt floor. i will do the deep litter method and am wondering how much 1 40# bag would cover? and how long do you think 1 ton will last me? i plan on around 10 chickens. do you all think pellets would last longer than shaveings or is it the other way around? i would buy the wood pellets by the ton because this company sells them that way. they are bagged in 40# bags. i could pick them up too but delivery would be a lot more easy. i am told 1 40# bag of pellets= 2 to 2 1/2 bales of shaveings, is this true?

 

[RedReiner]

Not true, well at least not here, the bales of shavings are huge. next time I put more pellets in the horse stall, I will take pics as I put them down and wet them and then fluff them out. 40 pounds of pellets would equal about a 1/3 of a large bale of shavings I think.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I have used a combination of pellets and shavings the last 3 winters and they have helped with wetness. I put the pellets in dry and put shavings on top. I just cleaned my coop 3 weeks ago & the two bags of pellets are already broken down. I have a problem with condensation on my floor I think & without the pellets, my coop gets wet by mid winter. The pellets have kept my coop fairly dry all winter by turning it & adding shavings from time to time. Pellets do mat if you don't keep them turned, but the combination seems to work.