Where Do I Get Enough Pine Shavings For DLM?

[ekemily]

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yeah, just go to any feed store (our local one is almost always cheaper than TSC) and ask for horse shavings. Don't waste your money on hamster cage bags of shavings, lol.

 

[ailurophile23]

Do you have a lumber yard anywhere nearby? And a pickup truck? We get a huge load of sawdust in our pickup for $20. We have horses and a sawdust bin which is why we use sawdust for the chickens - never had a dust problem though some people prefer shavings for this reason. It's just SO much cheaper by the picup load.

 

[kuntrychick]

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This is exactly what I get & it's $4.99 at my local TSC

 

[ekemily]

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This is exactly what I get & it's $4.99 at my local TSC

what part of bama are you from?

 

[kuntrychick]

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This is exactly what I get & it's $4.99 at my local TSC

what part of bama are you from?

Gadsden

 

[cluckfan]

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You should not need that much! I bed down a horse stall that is 10x20 and use 5-6 bags and that is plush! I also keep two coops and only use a bag evey few weeks. A little goes a long way..

 

[SteveBaz]

The bags open up to a tremendous amount of shavings. You will put 4 to 6 inches to start and that being cleaned day to day should last you 3 to 5 weeks before throwing a bit more down. They dig, dust bath, run around, eat, play, swing, spill, perch, knitting gab sessions and other really important stuff. Now you have a bed base. Each week to 2 if even needed add another inch or so and so on week after week. Look at the pile the dug up. In the morning I go in and pick and get as much and then smooth it all back out to give them a days work.

Then look at this picture now understand the level of the floor varies but basically 3" wood at the base and another 2" under the base of the wood total 5" deep if you look at the right side you will see the cage construction.

another coop shot full;

 

[Chris Herzog]

My coop where the birds are anyway, is 8x8 and I use about 3/4 of a bag to a full bag of shavings that I buy at the local feed store for 5.95. One bag of these compressed shavings, they are intended for horses, is equal to 9 cu ft when opened. I usually end up with about 1 1/2" to 2" on the floor and the same under a shelf that is about 14" x 8' that my roost sits on. I only put one bag at a time but I replace it every week to help keep the flies and odor away. It may be a little over kill but it seems to be worth the 6 bucks to me and clean up is a breeze.
Chris

One other thing....I picked up a bail of cheep hay, $4.00 or so from the feed store and I have been putting about two or three flakes of it in my run. My run is is 12 x 20 and is covered with a roof. The hens seem to like it and it's really easy to fool with. I just cleaned the run this past weekend for the first time in a month and put a couple more flakes down. It took me all of about 10 minutes to do this.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

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I was going to suggest the dame thing re: lumber mill.

 

[DMRippy]

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I just bought a bag last week on sale for $4.29 for the 8cf at TSC. Location I guess. Normally it is $4.99