Substrate?

[Stargazer04]

I've posted a thread like this one (it went dead and nobody was replying!) so I just quickly need some help with your chicken coop substrate. I dont normally have any trouble with lice or flee's and some people say they flip every week and others say they flip every year(I think its something to do depending on what your substrate is) so it comes to my question which is what is the best idea for a 10 by 10 chicken coop and another one which is 8 by 16? (I hope that makes any sence.) We drilled stick's from them to perch on which takes up alot of room (these chickens coops are also very tall and are only one level). I flip twice a week or sometimes a month, we use wood chips and I throw out diatomaceous earth every now and then. Any advice or am what I doing just fine?

 

[debid]

If it's working then what you're doing is fine. I don't compost in my coop so I empty out the bedding when it needs replacing and toss it in the compost pile. I stir it up as needed to keep from having a mess sitting on top of clean shavings and I spot clean under the roost. There are lots of ways of doing things, do whatever works best for you and your setup.

ETA: I do compost in the run. I add the dry leaves, they add the green manure, and they stir it for me. I shovel out black dirt when it builds up and use it in the landscape.

 

[Stargazer04]

If it's working then what you're doing is fine. I don't compost in my coop so I empty out the bedding when it needs replacing and toss it in the compost pile. I stir it up as needed to keep from having a mess sitting on top of clean shavings and I spot clean under the roost. There are lots of ways of doing things, do whatever works best for you and your setup.

ETA: I do compost in the run. I add the dry leaves, they add the green manure, and they stir it for me. I shovel out black dirt when it builds up and use it in the landscape.

But my question is how do you tell when its dirty enough to get rid of? Or is that just left to your own judgement.

 

[debid]

But my question is how do you tell when its dirty enough to get rid of? Or is that just left to your own judgement.

If you can smell ammonia, you've waited a little too long. So much depends on how much time they spend indoors, how many there are relative to floor space, etc. I don't bother with keeping track, I just go by appearance.

 

[The Phantom]

I just use wood shavings. Usually they will dig through them and mix them.

 

[Stargazer04]

I just use wood shavings. Usually they will dig through them and mix them.

Okay thanks