Too Much DUST in Coup

[computer_chicken]

I use wood chips from TSC and have found that there is a terrible dust problem in my coup. It collects on everything and I am wondering if I should be using something else to use as deep litter. I heard of wood pellets but don't know if that would be the fix. It seems like it could cause respiratory problems if the chickens continue to breathe it in. Also it collects in the water and food. Any suggestions? (I have 4 hens)
Also I have a collection tray under their perch that gets cleaned out daily with cat litter in it.

 

[willowcol]

Don't think it matter, chickens just make alot of dust. I have started running the shopvac around the coop to get as much as I can when I clean it out. Chicken = chicken dust, was the first lesson I learned from having them in the house for 6 weeks (still find it in places I never noticed it before) and they have been outside for 4 weeks now.

 

[LynneP]

It might seem odd to say this, but some powders help keep dust down because they have a density rating of about 2, which is far greater than feather dust or sawdust. Try adding some coop-appropriate powder like Stable Boy, PDZ, Stall Dri or food-grade diatomaceous earth, DE. Scrape back your existing bedding as much as possible and apply under it, recovering the stall powder. The chickens will stir it up and mix it, but it won;t be like the fine dust you're getting now. You'd need about 4 cups in a 10 x 10 stall, the first time, and half with each replacement of 1 bale of shavings ( approx 6 cu ft). These products are excellent at controlling odors caused by ammonia and methane, too, and food-grade DE has some value in pest control, discussed at length here, you can search for the conversations.

 

[patandchickens]

First, are you sure it is *shavings* dust (which looks like, well, like the dust from a bag of shavings), as opposed to just generalized chicken dust, which is their dander etc and is very very fine and whitish-greyish and almost a little greasy-feeling. Chickens just DO produce a lot of this stuff.

At the same time, if when you examine the contents of your bags of shavings, it seems to contain a lot of sawdust and other fines, it would be worth trying other brands. (Bearing in mind that, b/c of the nature of the product, there can be a fair amount of variation between production runs within a brand, as well). Your local feedstores should carry at LEAST one other brand to try.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[computer_chicken]

Now that you mention it the dust is very fine grayish white that probably is the dander. Just seems like alot - I will do some shop vac cleanup also. Thanks for the suggestions!