Silicone mat on the bottom of coop for ease of cleaning?

[tomik261]

Hello. I would like to ask if it would be possible to use a silicone mat at the bottom of a coop to catch all the feces and then you would simply roll it up and clean it outside? I use dry bedding so I thin this could work with it. Any opinions on this as I haven't seen any other people doing the same the closest I saw was a permanent rubber floor and I think it would make the cleaning much less of a hassle. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Ted Brown]

It is possible.

While the size of coop and therefore mat will impact ease of cleaning I question if it will be easier than using drop boards with PDZ and deep bedding using pine chips.

I have 19 adult birds and 12 eight week chicks at the moment. I remove the droppings frequently but at times let it go for 4-6 days. The droppings are, for the most part, dried out by the PDZ and easily removed with a scoop and sifted through a mesh tray to minimize loss of the PDZ. Perhaps 15 minutes after a multi day period. I exchange the dry bedding once per year, no build up of droppings as most is on the drop boards the rest dries and "disappears".

I accept that the coop will be dusty but blow it out with a leaf blower when I exchange the bedding and one or two other times per year. My coop design has an open front and four windows+door so the dust can be directed outside away from me, nonetheless a dust mask is highly recommended.

I have not used one but droppings on a silicone mat will be slow to dry. It strikes me that picking it up will be a messy and unattractive job. Carrying it outside to clean perhaps awkward depending on size?

 

[RubelliteRose]

What size is your coop? I would think that a coop sized silicone mat would be both expensive and heavy, plus moving it in and out may cause it to tear. We lined the bottom of both of our coops with inexpensive no VOC vinyl sheet. In our large coop, we also have poop boards and deep pine shavings over the floor. I am SO glad we took the advice to do this! It is so easy to keep clean!
In our smaller coop, we don't have room for poop boards, so we covered the floor with deep pine shavings and scoop the poop from the shavings each day. It only takes a few minutes, but I still prefer the poop boards. I add shavings whenever the level starts to drop and do a complete clean out once a year or so - the vinyl sheet is very easy to clean too

 

[tomik261]

Hi thanks for the reply. We don't have the common open design coop. Our coop is just a place where the chickens sleep and we release them soon in the morning. They only sleep in the coop and therefore it is quite small. The door is quite hard to acces so I don't think poop boards would work. I'm not overruling the possibility that silicone mats would be unusable but maybe if they're cleaned every second day or so they wouldn't have that many droppings on them and would be easier to clean? As for the deep pine shaving method. I already use a dry bedding made of diatomaceous earth and has eucalyptus oil in it to freshen the coop and am quite happy with how it works. I might try the deep pine shaving method in winter as we use pine shavings in winter.

 

[Ted Brown]

...
As for the deep pine shaving method. I already use a dry bedding made of diatomaceous earth and has eucalyptus oil in it to freshen the coop and am quite happy with how it works. I might try the deep pine shaving method in winter as we use pine shavings in winter.

My comments about the use of deep bedding, pine or otherwise, depend on the use of drop boards and frequent cleaning thereof.

In a small closed coop without drop boards you will have ongoing buildup of droppings that will need to be cleaned often. You will not find many supporters of DE on this forum. Given the small coop size you may want to try PDZ on the floor and regular pick up of droppings.

I know of a coop that uses drop boards and accesses them through a horizontal "flap" on the back. The owners use a modified rake to pull droppings out and simply let it drop to the ground; their coop is very large and houses 100+ chickens, with a small coop one could remove to a wheel barrow. They also remove the pile on a regular (monthly?) basis. Obviously depends on one's coop construction and external access but perhaps something to conside

 

[tomik261]

My comments about the use of deep bedding, pine or otherwise, depend on the use of drop boards and frequent cleaning thereof.

In a small closed coop without drop boards you will have ongoing buildup of droppings that will need to be cleaned often. You will not find many supporters of DE on this forum. Given the small coop size you may want to try PDZ on the floor and regular pick up of droppings.

I know of a coop that uses drop boards and accesses them through a horizontal "flap" on the back. The owners use a modified rake to pull droppings out and simply let it drop to the ground; their coop is very large and houses 100+ chickens, with a small coop one could remove to a wheel barrow. They also remove the pile on a regular (monthly?) basis. Obviously depends on one's coop construction and external access but perhaps something to conside

About the DE I just said that on a whim as I was unsure and now that I went to look I can't really find anything on the bag and the internet all it says is that it is made of minerals. If you know this product or any similar ones could you confirm it is made from DE as I have heard that it is speculated to be a carcinogen. Thanks for the reply.
https://serowar.eu/en_GB/p/SANDEZIA-DISINFECTANT-POWDER/964

 

[tomik261]

And also I did a little researching right now and found that zeolite also contains crystalline silica. If I'm lying then correct me please but I think that PDZ is made from zeolite. I'm not sure though I use a respirator when working in the coop and with this stuff so if DE is dangerous in any way I would like to know
. Again thanks for the replies

 

[Ted Brown]

First I see prices in euros so assume that you are somewhere in Europe.

I am not familiar with the product you reference but see it says particularly effective in damp situations. From what I know about DE if it gets damp/wet it loses any effect it might have so unlikely it is contained in that product.

You are correct that PDZ is zeolite; I have never read that it contains silica; as it is used by MANY people on this site I feel certain that it does not have anything that would be a respiratory danger.

However may be moot as I doubt it is available in Europe.

 

[tomik261]

First I see prices in euros so assume that you are somewhere in Europe.

I am not familiar with the product you reference but see it says particularly effective in damp situations. From what I know about DE if it gets damp/wet it loses any effect it might have so unlikely it is contained in that product.

You are correct that PDZ is zeolite; I have never read that it contains silica; as it is used by MANY people on this site I feel certain that it does not have anything that would be a respiratory danger.

However may be moot as I doubt it is available in Europe.

Thanks for the reply. Next time I'm buying something I'll probably ask the clerk at the store if they know anything about its composition. I'll also check if there is anything made of zeolite or maybe even if PDZ is in stock.
I hope that more research is done to make it clear what is safe to use and what is not as it really feels like a grey zone right now.

 

[Ted Brown]

@tomik261

You want granulated zeolite not powdered. It is also used as a soil amendment so check with your garden center; I recall a lady in Alberta finding something other than PDZ but made from zeolite, I don't think she reported back on effectiveness.

This is the product most commonly used in the US. Not sold in Canada and shipping takes the cost from $12 to $80 so not used except by those of us close to the US border and a Tractor Supply outlet.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/pdz?